


My Mirror, Sword and Shield

by spirithorse



Series: Sword and Shield Series [2]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-15
Updated: 2011-10-25
Packaged: 2017-10-21 09:59:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 326,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/223932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suzaku always knew that Lloyd was eccentric, but he never expected Lloyd to build a time machine, let alone one that worked. Nor did he expect to be transported eighteen years into the past and meet the infamous Demon King. Based on the movie Back to the Future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I completely blame this idea on Christopher Lloyd's performance as Doc Brown. I watched him geeking out over the time machine and immediately thought of Lloyd. Everything just went downhill after that. So I present this unlikely fic. Also, the dates that I'm using for battles and events are just guesses and estimation, placed based on me just making up dates as Code Geass tells us little to nothing about some of the dates of the battles.
> 
> And here is where I apologize for the bungled scientific explanations. Honestly, I could not find how the Flux Capacitor was actually supposed to work at all. So, I did my best to put these three different systems into working order. Also, consider this my apology for the rest of the fic, I'll try my best to get all the techno babble and Knightmare Frame information as correct as I can, but there may be times when I fall a little short. Please, just forgive me.

**  
Chapter One   
**

_October 29, 2036_

"Suzaku?" Cecile Croomy tipped her head to the side, waiting for the response from the teenager only to be met with silence. She frowned, stepping away from the kitchen table. He should have been up by now, usually he would be downstairs when she woke up. Cecile shook her head, storming over to the door that led out to the garage.

If Lloyd had kept that boy up all night to help him with his latest creation again, she would have his head.

She reached out to tug open the door, pausing as Arthur twined himself around her legs. Cecile reached down for the cat, holding him as she opened the door to the garage. She groped for the light switch for a moment, finally managing to turn the lights on to display the tangled mess of wires and scraps of metal that covered the floor. Cecile shook her head, getting a glimpse of white and gold from under a tarp before she went back to her searching.

Lloyd wasn't here or in the small shed built off the garage that served as the man's laboratory. She took a step forward, leaning on the railing to peer further into the garage before shrugging, biting her lower lip nervously.

Lloyd hadn't been in the house for more than a few hours at a time, only stopping in to eat when she or Suzaku called him. And then he was running out again. Although, he was probably hard at work when both Suzaku and herself were asleep, she had woken up to the sound of Lloyd working in the garage many times over the past weeks.

She shut the door to the garage and locked it, carrying Arthur back to the kitchen and setting him down on the floor. The black cat gave her a long look before padding over to his food dish. Cecile shook her head at the cat before walking over to the base of the stairs, jumping backwards and nearly falling over when Suzaku suddenly appeared.

"Miss. Cecile!" He rushed down the stairs, reaching out to hold onto to her elbow, probably hoping to steady her. Cecile took one look at the horror on his face before laughing and shaking her head.

"No harm done, Suzaku." He relaxed a bit at that, taking a step back and reaching up to finish buttoning up his uniform jacket. She sighed, walking over and fixing his collar, Suzaku automatically tipping his head back and letting her work. "Where have you been? You're running late."

"Sorry. I was just looking over stuff." She hummed, Suzaku stepping away from her pulling at the hem of his jacket to get it to sit right. "I think I've narrowed things down."

"Suzaku, you won't be graduating for a year."

"But you always have to be ready." He gave her a bright smile before reaching for his school bag, ducking around her to get to the table.

Cecile followed him into the kitchen, watching as Suzaku carefully avoided Arthur, snatching his toast from the plate before the cat could pounce. She laughed and shook her head, crossing her arms over her stomach.

"Arthur, you have your breakfast. Leave mine alone." Suzaku ran out of the kitchen, pursued by the cat. Cecile stepped out of the way, waiting for Suzaku to make his way through the rooms on the first floor, far too used to the morning route to yell at them for it. Besides, if Suzaku had stood still, Arthur would have gotten the toast from him.

Suzaku rushed by her, slowing long enough to place a kiss on her cheek before running out of the house, waving good-bye to her. "Bye!"

"Have a good day, Suzaku!" He waved again at that, not slowing down as he ran to the train station.

Cecile stepped out onto the front porch to watch Suzaku, a habit that she had gotten into since she had adopted the young Japanese boy, standing outside long after he had disappeared from sight. Cecile sighed, shaking her head and turning around to walk back inside, glancing down at Arthur. "He doesn't abandon you."

The cat shot her what looked like a glare before standing up and marching back into the house, Cecile laughing at that. It seemed like she had developed a habit of taking in strays, first Lloyd, just to be sure that the man remembered to eat and sleep. Suzaku had followed when she had found him on the streets. Arthur had followed soon after Suzaku, literally attached to the boy. Still, it kept the house from being too quiet.

Cecile sighed and pushed her hair out of her face, glancing at the clock and shaking her head. She had to leave for work in ten minutes and she still had no idea where Lloyd was. At this point, she was more annoyed than worried, Lloyd always got like this when he was close to finishing something. He would probably show up at work for a few minutes before going off again, leaving Cecile to stammer apologies and run after him.

It was amazing how little things changed.

She rolled her eyes, straightening her shirt and skirt before slipping her shoes on. Cecile snatched up the keys to the house, locking the front door behind her as she turned and walked in the opposite direction as Suzaku. Hopefully all the paperwork for their recent accomplishment had gone through, which meant that she would actually be working on something instead of sitting behind a desk. It was a strange place to put her after specifically asking for her. Then again, the Japanese government might just want to keep an eye on the pair that had made the most improvements to the Knightmare Frames and be sure that they weren't going to try and start a war again.

Cecile preferred to think of this as her second chance, a chance to help people see that they could trust her and Lloyd despite the black mark on their records that working with the Demon Emperor had caused. And, they were helping with peace.

Since she and Lloyd had shifted their base of operations from Britannia to Japan they had managed to cut down the world's dependence on sakuradite, practically banishing the chance that Japan would be subjugated again. They were now the leading producer of many technological advances, most drawn from their experience working with the Knightmare Frames and Lloyd's special brand of genius, if they could keep him in one place for more than one moment at a time. She supposed that would be their next miracle, tracking down Lloyd as he searched for something that would entertain him.

Cecile sighed, feeling a headache coming on. Between worrying about Suzaku and Lloyd, she was surprised that she hadn't had a mental breakdown yet. Suzaku helped temper some of her annoyance at Lloyd, eagerly volunteering for whatever Lloyd needed him for, giving Cecile all the free time she needed. Then again, that did nothing to help his grades.

She laughed and shook her head, at a loss of what to do with her boys. At least she could say that her life was never dull with the two of them around.

* * *

Suzaku crossed the courtyard of Ashford Academy, tensing up as he glanced around. It seemed like only half of the students were here today, most of the ones that he could see in the open were Japanese. They gave him dark looks as he walked into the main building, Suzaku deciding to ignore them. It was probably some bit of news that he had missed on the way out this morning or an increased load of homework.

His unease grew as he walked through the school, surprised to see most of the Britannian students already in the classrooms, glancing wistfully outside. Even the students known for their tardiness were already inside, sitting stiffly in their seats. Suzaku swallowed and continued on to his classroom, stepping through the door.

Almost immediately, the whispered conversation stopped, Suzaku staring at his Britannian classmates in shock. Most of them stared at him before shrugging and going back to their conversations, only Nina Einstein leaning further back in her seat with a look of complete terror on her face. But he was used to that look from her. From what little he had heard from school, Nina had lived with her mother until she was five. Suzaku winced at the reminder. He had thought that his life had once been hard, at least it was better than being passed through relatives for three years and then turned out onto the street, surviving by digging through trashcans. She had been raped at least once before the police found her and took her to an orphanage, and she harbored a fear of anyone Japanese, especially men.

He carefully avoided walking too close to her desk, noticing that she was extra jumpy today, which would make the Student Council meeting that much more fun. She would probably curl up in her chair and not talk the entire time.

Suzaku looked away from her, smiling when he saw Rivalz waving at him. He hurried across the room and slipped into the seat beside his friend, setting his bag on the floor. "What's going on?"

Rivalz stared at him before bursting into laughter, nearly falling out of his chair. Suzaku blinked, glancing around the room as the other students looked up at the sound. He blushed and ducked his head, staring at the desk until Rivalz righted himself. His friend stared at him for a long time before letting out a long sigh. "You really don't know."

"I was running a bit late this morning."

"It has nothing to do with that. Do you at least know what today is?"

Suzaku nodded, about to speak out loud before he realized the importance of the date, nodding slowly before turning back around to face the front of the room, his hands clutching at the edge of the table. The date explained everything. The only day when the Japanese and Britannian students wouldn't mingle was the day that the Demon Emperor had been assassinated. The Japanese, who were still a bit wary of the Britannians that had decided to stay in the country, chose to distance themselves from them. The Britannians usually kept to the safety of their homes, whether to celebrate, mourn or do a strange combination of both.

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. For him, it meant having to watch that video again. His hands trembled, Suzaku staring at them before clearing his throat looking back at Rivalz. "I must be out of it to forget that."

"Yeah," Rivalz nodded and glanced out the window, "in a few days you guys will be celebrating your independence from the empire. You think Miss. Cecile can replicate the miso soup disaster from last year?"

Suzaku felt his stomach churn uncomfortably at the thought of last year's independence day celebration, barely managing to shake his head. "I offered to cook this year."

"Good call."

He gave a shaky smile at that before sitting back in his seat, closing his eyes. "Although, I'm not that much better than Miss. Cecile."

"So? You were raised on the stuff." Suzaku hummed in affirmative, that enough to encourage Rivalz to go on. "So you should know what it tastes like."

"Not really." Suzaku ducked his head. "Mother was never really in her right mind and I…" Rivalz winced at that, Suzaku forcing himself to chuckle to break the awkward silence that he was sure was coming. "Well, I'm still not that good at cooking. I'm amazed that we haven't starved yet."

Rivalz laughed at that, the laughter a little forced, like it always was when someone brought up Suzaku's past. The teenager smiled at his friend, shaking his head before turning to stare towards the front of the room. He honestly didn't mind when people talked about it, it wasn't going to change anything anyway and he wasn't embarrassed about it.

His mother had started to take Refrain after his first birthday, trying to deal with the stress of her husband's death and raising a child on her own. She had lost her job half a year later. She had managed to keep herself together until Suzaku was five, finding another job and caring for him as she should have been. And then she had completely lost herself to the drug. From that point on, he had to care for himself and her, something he had accomplished with some success, until his ninth birthday at least.

Then he had become like Nina. His gaze drifted over to the girl, looking away quickly. They had both been on the streets for a while before they were picked up. Despite the peace and improvements since the Demon Emperor's death, there were still many children roaming the cities. Thankfully, he hadn't had the traumatic experience that Nina had. Cecile had found him rooting around in one of the dumpsters behind the her work and had taken him in.

He rubbed his hands over his face and pushed away from the desk, turning his head to ask Rivalz about the Student Council meeting when the bell rang. He sighed and sat back, watching the remaining students file into the classroom, the teacher following soon after. Suzaku glanced around the room, noticing that all of the seats were filled. It was one of the few times in the year that no one skipped their history class.

Suzaku sunk further in his seat as the teacher finished calling roll, staring at the front of the room as the teacher went to lower the lights, his stomach giving a nervous twist. The teacher returned to the front of the room, speaking in his normal level tone, the same tone that often sent half the class to sleep. "Today, as you all know, is the day that we were freed from the tyrannical rule of Lelouch vi Britannia, also known as the Demon Emperor. While we haven't gotten to that part of our history in this course it is traditional to show the events of that day."

The teacher turned on the view screen, Suzaku shutting his eyes as he heard the footage come up. He was sure that the rest of the class was watching intently. He swallowed before opening his eyes a fraction, finding that he couldn't look away from the screen.

There were three vehicles, two to carry the prisoners and one that held the emperor himself, all flanked by Knightmare Frames. Sutherlands, his mind supplied, Suzaku wanting nothing more than to turn his head away. Instead he watched, flinching as the first shot was fired, the bullet slamming into the floor right in front of the emperor. The vehicles came to a stop, the guards looking around before they began to make their way closer to the crowd. Even the Knightmares were moving away from the vehicles, Suzaku finding himself holding his breath.

The first assassin would show himself at the front of the cavalcade, a basic feint to draw the guard's attention further away from the emperor himself. Then two more would appear in the crowd, all three of them decoys for the man who stood with the handful of foot soldiers. Suzaku felt himself tremble as the man threw off his disguise, using the confusion to rush up to the platform where the emperor was and press a gun against his head.

Suzaku could hear the faint rustle of cloth as the rest of the class leaned forward, all of them waiting for the moment when the trigger was pulled. All of them were staring at the assassin, but Suzaku was staring right at the emperor. What the assassin said to the emperor was still unknown to this day, but it made the emperor's eyes widen in fear. As always, Suzaku stared at the emperor throughout the assassin's short speech, drawing in his breath just before the trigger was pulled.

From far away, he could hear the cheers from the other students, Suzaku having to press his head against the desk as the emperor slumped back against his throne, dead. His stomach rolled again, Suzaku taking deep breaths as he tried to calm himself.

When they had first started showing this video he had been one of the ones who had cheered for the Demon Emperor's death, but then he had lived out on the streets for a year. The next time he had seen it, he had finally noticed the fear on the emperor's face, recognizing it as the fear that he had felt for a year. And he hadn't been able to stomach the sight again, because the Demon Emperor stopped being a symbol of hatred and became a real person.

Cecile had only spoken about the Demon Emperor when pressed for information, Suzaku assuming that she had bad memories of the time that she had spent in his service. But she had told him that the emperor had been eighteen when he had died, around Suzaku's age. He felt his stomach twist again, Suzaku trembling in place, quickly looking up when the teacher turned the lights back on and trying to look unaffected.

He reached down for his bag when the teacher announced that he was going to start the lecture, the rest of the class calming down slowly. Suzaku took a deep breath before focusing all of his attention onto taking notes, glad to find that the rest of class passed by quickly. And, as the teacher left, the next one came in promptly, cutting down the time that the class talked between them.

Suzaku looked around at his classmates once during the next session before going back to his book. They were still restless, probably waiting for a break to begin to tell the stories that they had heard from their parents, all of them horror stories from the reign of the Demon Emperor. He closed his eyes for a moment before going back to taking notes, trying to ignore the annoyed shifting that came from most of the class. They would be let out for lunch in another hour, and he would probably find his way to the roof to hide from the rest of them.

He let out a sigh, tipping his head forward until his hair fell across his eyes, using that to screen out the other students and focus on his notes.

* * *

The slight vibration of his phone made him jump, Suzaku glancing up at the rest of the Student Council members around the table before sitting back and letting his pen drop back to the table. Ignoring the buzzing phone, he massaged some life into his hand, wiggling his fingers to keep them from cramping up.

Suzaku stretched his arms over his head, watching Rivalz and Shirley continue to work on their own stack of paperwork, turning his head to see Nina practically curled up in the chair by the computer, staring at the blank screen and shivering. He was sure that Shirley wanted nothing more than to walk over to the girl and comfort her, but they both knew that it would do nothing when she was like this.

He let his arms fall back to his sides, fishing out his phone and staring at the text message there. He glanced up at the sender before smiling, wondering if Cecile had gotten the same message herself, it would ease some of her worry.

The message was from Lloyd, just two sentences. _'Shinjuku Memorial. 10:00 tonight.'_

Suzaku blinked and looked at his watch, jumping when he saw that it was nearly eight. He stared at the stack of papers that he had to work through before glancing down at the one in front of him. It would be eight before he finished this one, and then he had to get down to the train station. He could probably get home at around nine, but that would mean having to get right on the train again. Suzaku sighed, turning his attention back to the papers in front of him, hurriedly finishing them off before standing up.

Milly immediately looked up from where she was lounging on the sofa, watching them work. "And where does the Vice President think he's going?"

Suzaku blushed. "I got a text. I'm wanted back at home. Sorry." He held up the stack of papers. "Where can I put this to finish it next time?"

Milly motioned off to one side, Suzaku carrying his load over to the bookshelf and storing it carefully, smiling at the groans from Shirley and Rivalz. "Madam President!"

"He actually keeps his word when he says he'll do them." Milly smiled at him. "Have a good time, Suzaku. Tell us if this one actually works."

"Will do." He stopped to pick up his bag, waving as he walked out of the room and into the hall.

Suzaku waited until he was walking through the courtyard of Ashford Academy before pulling out his cell phone, dialing Cecile's number and waiting. The phone rung three times before she picked up, Suzaku smiling and attaching the phone to his ear. "Miss. Cecile?"

"Suzaku!" He heard the faint sound of other people in the background, tipping his head to the side. "Are you home yet?"

"No. The student council had a ton of paperwork to do and I lost track of time. I'm just leaving now."

"Suzaku…"

"I know, I know." He laughed, shaking his head. "But I don't want to leave Rivalz and Shirley to do all the work themselves. I am the Vice President."

"That's no excuse to allow her to work you to death." Cecile sighed heavily on the other end. "I'm guessing that you're calling because of Lloyd's text."

"Yeah, I'm heading over there now." He flinched even though she couldn't see him. "Sorry I wasn't home earlier."

"You and me both. I've been hiding out at work waiting for the crowds to die down."

"Hiding?"

"The celebrations started early this year." Suzaku rolled his eyes, hearing Cecile laugh. "Besides, I got all the extra work I needed done, so the project can start smoothly."

"That's good." Suzaku walked into the train station, pressing one hand against the phone on his ear to block out the noise, glancing at the schedule that was posted on the wall. He had to wait for it to cycle through before he found the train that would lead out to Shinjuku, Suzaku stepping to the side and beginning to move through the crowds on the platform.

He could hear Cecile shouting over the phone, not quite able to make out her words until he moved out of the main crowd. "Suzaku?"

"Still here."

"I said be careful. I don't know why Lloyd has us going out there."

"Probably doesn't want anyone seeing this thing."

"Yes, but it's best if we don't go out much today. We're well known for our part in the empire."

"You can't help who you work for."

Cecile was silent on the other end, Suzaku finding a place to stand and leaning back against one of the columns as he waited for the train. He tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling. "Miss. Cecile? Do you know what he's been working on?"

"No. He hasn't talked to me about it. And I thought you would know."

Suzaku laughed at that. "He hasn't even told his 'favorite devicer'. I don't know what to think of that."

"Lloyd…" Suzaku smiled to himself, knowing that Cecile disapproved of the way that Lloyd chose to refer to him as a part of a machine. He had gotten used to Lloyd's strange quirks, finding them complementary rather than insulting. He was the only one that Lloyd trusted his precious machines to, at least for the first rounds of testing. "Is it about that car in the garage?"

"Car?"

"The one under the tarp."

Suzaku blinked, remembering the tarp, but Lloyd had never said what was under it specifically. "I don't know. Whenever I asked about it, he just called it the Lancelot."

"Lancelot?" Suzaku was shocked by the muttered curses that were coming from Cecile, glad that the arrival of the train gave him a distraction. "Damn it, Lloyd. The UFN doesn't allow us to build Knightmares."

Suzaku's eyes widened, pressing a hand over his phone so the conversation wouldn't leak out into the almost empty train. "Would he do that?"

"I don't think so. Lloyd may hate the fact that most of his precious creations had to be stripped down to scrap, but he understands the reasoning. But I didn't think he was stupid enough to try and rebuild the Lancelot."

"The Lancelot?"

"Lloyd's pride and joy when we were working for the Emperor. It was supposed to be the top Knightmare Frame in its class, but we never got the right pilot for it, so it was a flop." Suzaku was silent for a moment, vaguely listening to the chatter of people on the bus. He jumped when Cecile let out a soft curse. "I thought I saw its armor this morning when I was looking for you."

"Huh?" Suzaku glanced outside of the window, watching the city go past, shifting to allow another person past.

"He must have attached it to something or tried to restore it."

Suzaku hummed to himself, rocking slightly in place. "We'll just have to see when we get there."

"I'm glad one of us is so calm about this."

"Between the two of Miss. Cecile, we can talk him out of anything stupid." Suzaku smiled, hearing her laugh on the other end of the line. "Or we can at least distract his attention to something else."

"Alright, Suzaku. Just keep him from doing anything horrible until I get there." She hung up, Suzaku unhooking the phone from his ear before shoving it into his pocket again, staring at the city as it sped by out the window. He tipped his head to the side, leaning it against the window and closing his eyes, just listening to the chatter of people around him.

Suzaku opened his eyes as the train came to a stop, slipping out with the rest of the people and heading back down to the street level, carefully looking around. Shinjuku was better than it had been three years ago, the ghetto slowly rebuilt into a neighborhood of some standing; but there were still some Japanese who preferred it to remain as a ghetto as a memory to those who had fought and died there. Apparently the various memorials that they had put up weren't enough.

He paused at the plaque that they had put up on a wall, just giving it a short glance before entering the neighborhood, strolling down the sidewalk as he headed towards the memorial in the middle of the former ghetto. The few people that were out this late gave him strange looks, Suzaku realizing how strange he must look dressed in the uniform of a primarily Britannian school in Shinjuku on the anniversary of their tyrant's death.

Suzaku checked his watch, flinching when he realized that he would be twenty minutes early. He hoped that Lloyd would be here already, not wanting to stay here too long. Today was the one day that all of the former Areas would turn on the Britannians that still remained, the anger for all the atrocities committed in the War of Ascension and by the emperor himself still burning hot. Lloyd and Cecile wouldn't be safe here for too long, and he would be their next target after them.

He forced himself not to glare at the next group of people walking, staring at the ground. To them, he might as well be Britannian because of the way that he was raised. That was something Suzaku couldn't complain about, he could have turned out like Nina or some of the other orphans, almost too messed up to function in society.

He shook his head, walking out into the cleared section in the middle of the neighborhood, staring at the garden that the government had planted. His gaze moved over the abundant greenery before he looked up at the old building that was still barely standing there, looming over the garden, the last remains of Shinjuku ghetto. Suzaku swallowed and started to walk along the path towards the building, ignoring the bright flowers around him in favor of staring at the path, reading off the names that were written there. All of the Japanese dead were listed here from the Battle of Shinjuku, similar memorials set up at Narita, Mount Fuji and outside of Tokyo.

Suzaku froze as he heard someone walking behind him, taking a deep breath before turning around, his eyes widening as he heard the person speak before he saw him. "Thinking hard?"

"Lloyd!"

The scientist gave him a wide grin before glancing at his watch. "You're early." Suzaku just shrugged, Lloyd repeating the motion before walking over at staring at the old building. "They should just tear that down before it falls down."

He rolled his eyes. "Lloyd..."

Lloyd raised one hand and waved him away. "It'll fall one day and then they'll realize that it's just a building. It won't change anything."

"It's important!"

"Is it? Why?" Lloyd titled his head to the side. "All I see is a bunch of broken steel and brick. It's just a building. Why save some fragment from the past?"

Suzaku shook his head, he should have known better than to try and convince Lloyd of something's emotional value. He tried another tactic. "Why rebuild the Lancelot?"

Lloyd laughed at that, turning around to face Suzaku again. He winked before strolling away. "You'll see."

Suzaku followed him towards the old building, his hand clenching around the strap of his bag. "Shouldn't we wait for Cecile?"

"Only if it works." Lloyd walked around to the other side of the building, gesturing at the tarp covered object that was sitting in the street. When Suzaku didn't react, the scientist darted over to it, gently patting the object. "All it needs is a pilot."

Suzaku took a step back, taking a quick breath. He was ready to refuse when Lloyd pulled the tarp back, Suzaku relaxing when he realized that it was only a car. Suzaku carefully inched forward, looking over the car, surprised by the odd armor that covered it. He glanced up at Lloyd before walking over to the vehicle and placing a hand on it. "It's a car."

"What were you expecting? A Knightmare?" Lloyd laughed at that, already circling around the car, checking it over. "Although, it could be considered one."

Suzaku's mouth dropped open in shock, earning around burst of laughter from Lloyd. "Don't look at me like that."

"It's illegal."

Lloyd stopped his inspection, leaning against the side of the car and staring at him. "It's just the armor and some of the interior controls and screens. There's no law against that." Suzaku relaxed a fraction at that, about to speak again when Lloyd tipped his head back, seeming to remembering something. "Oh, and the Yggdrasil Drive."

Suzaku dropped his bag at that, pulling his hand away from the car like it had been burned. "There's sakuradite in this thing?"

Lloyd shrugged. "How else can the Flux Capacitor be powered efficiently?"

Suzaku shook his head and stumbled away from the car, staring at it. "What is this thing?"

"A little something to pass the time. The projects right now are so dull." Lloyd opened the door to the car, slipping into the driver's seat and reaching forward to adjust something out of Suzaku's line of sight. "A pet project of mine, to see if parts from the Knightmares could still be used."

"Lloyd-"

"Don't tell me it's illegal. I'm sticking to the laws set out by Empress Nunnally." Lloyd paused long enough to lean out of the open door. "You're starting to sound like Cecile. Careful, or you may get stuck that way."

Suzaku found himself unable to stop staring at Lloyd, his gaze drifting from the car to the scientist inside of it before he slumped. He stared at the ground, debating his next question. When Cecile arrived there would be no doubt that he would be shoved into the driver's seat. Suzaku guessed that it was Lloyd's way of showing affection, letting him be the test pilot for all of his prototypes, and Lloyd would always wait until he was sure that they were safe before letting Suzaku near the prototypes. Or safe enough.

He took a deep breath before cautiously moving forward. "What does it do?"

Lloyd stared at him for a moment before grinning. "Time travel."

"Seriously-"

"You'll find that I am." Lloyd stepped out of the car, waving his arm in a wide gesture. "After building Knightmares, there is only the impossible left."

"But time travel?"

"Why not?" Lloyd was back to tinkering in the car again, his shrug nearly lost to the shadows. "With one foot in the grave, why not try it?"

"Lloyd, you're closer to retirement than death." The look Lloyd gave him implied that the scientist equated them both equally. Suzaku rolled his eyes and stepped up to the car, staring at the interior instead of looking at the outside. Like most of the children born after the Demon Emperor had died, he had been told horror stories about Knightmares. His father had been killed fighting in Japan, although he never knew for which side or how. It was safe to assume that he had been killed by a Knightmare. "How does it work?"

The question seemed to placate Lloyd, the scientist extracting himself from the car before motioning for Suzaku to sit inside. Trying to quell the fluttering in his stomach, Suzaku slid into the driver's seat, staring at the steering wheel before looking down at the array of screens on the side. He jumped when Lloyd peeked back in, leaning on his shoulder as he gleefully pointed out the changes he had made to the car. "The screens there display the basic functions of the car itself, while that one shows the status of the Yggdrasil Drive. There you input the time." Lloyd directed Suzaku's attention behind him, Suzaku staring at the three tubes that were pulsing faintly with blue light. "And that sends you through time."

Suzaku twisted into a more comfortable position in his seat, staring at the tubes arranged in a vague 'Y' shape, barely listening as Lloyd continued to speak. "The Yggdrasil Drive produces the needed 1.21 gigawatts of energy needed to activate the circuits, but only when the car is moving at a certain speed, eighty-eight miles per hour to be exact. Then the energy created sends the car forward," Suzaku ducked the enthusiastic motion, "and the armor allows for a smooth ride through time, almost instantaneous for the passenger.

"Although," Lloyd leaned forward again to tap an orange button on the top of a lever that stuck up between the seats, "the Blaze Luminous System should be activated before then. The armor is enough to keep the travel smooth and protect the occupant from the sudden temperature changes, but not the equipment."

Suzaku blinked at that, pulling his hand away from the lever and turning to stare at Lloyd. "You're really serious about this."

"All of it tested and working." Lloyd beamed at him.

Suzaku swallowed, turning around so he legs were hanging out of the car. "Do you know what people would do if they found this? It's dangerous Lloyd."

"So hide it." Lloyd shrugged, walking around to the back to fiddle with something. Suzaku followed him, leaning heavily against the car. "I don't plan on selling this."

"But even you…You could go back and change things."

Lloyd paused in his calibrations, staring at Suzaku. "Why?"

He opened his mouth to argue before quickly snapping it shut, knowing better than to argue with Lloyd. The scientist saw the world differently from the rest of them, he often didn't even recognize people as individuals, just parts in a machine. Suzaku was sure that he only saw Cecile and himself differently from the rest because of the amount of time spent with them. Suzaku shook his head, reaching down to pick up his bag and throw it in the passenger's seat, Lloyd seeming to take that as his approval of the machine.

"One test run before Cecile comes, to be sure this works."

Suzaku raised an eyebrow, sure that he should argue, but he found that he couldn't. The usual pre-testing excitement had started to rise in him and he found that he could only smile, shifting to sit in the seat. He placed both hands on the steering wheel, glancing around at the inside of the car before looking back out at Lloyd, reaching out to take the key that Lloyd danged in front of him.

He paused long enough to examine the key, staring at the slim piece of metal with two sets of three bars in the middle before the key thinned again. Suzaku reached out to take it from Lloyd, staring at the end of the key, raising an eyebrow before turning his head to the side. He should have expected the ignition key to be the actual activation key from the original Lancelot. He slid it into the slot, watching as the screens powered up, automatically checking the status of the car itself before his eyes slid over to the screen that displayed the information about the Yggdrasil Drive.

"Thirty-nine percent?"

"Sakuradite is harder to come by these days." Lloyd hummed to himself as he leaned forward. "It should serve us well enough for a short hop into the future, no more than a few minutes." He leaned over Suzaku, keying in a date and time that was two minutes from now before motioning for Suzaku to turn off the car. "It's burning out faster than I thought it would. Oh well, looks like that trial run is grounded. We won't waste what we have until Cecile comes."

Before Suzaku could protest the low fuel for the time circuits, Lloyd was walking away, humming under his breath as he tried to curb his impatience. Suzaku rolled his eyes and slumped back into his seat, staring at the blank screens in front of him.

The whole set up reminded him of the Knightmare Frame simulations that were still in museums. He smiled to himself as he remembered many trips to them just to be able to pretend to control a real Knightmare. Despite the fear, no child in their right mind would give up the chance to pretend to be a hero, leading a charge against the Demon Emperor. All that was missing were the two joysticks that would control the Knightmare's direction and arms.

Suzaku rubbed a hand over his face, breathing out a long sigh, turning his head to watch as Lloyd paced back, praying that Cecile would get here soon. He had a lot of homework to get through, the teachers doing their best to keep the students inside and out of trouble today; it was a ploy that nearly never worked. Even Rivalz had been talking about going out and celebrating during lunch. Suzaku let his hand drop back to his side, staring out of the windshield.

He jumped as the phone in his pocket vibrated, Suzaku sitting up and taking it out. Lloyd appeared by his side as Suzaku answered the call. He was confused for a moment when he heard the sound of panting and shouts in the background. "Hello?"

"Suzaku!"

He straightened up quickly, putting the phone on speaker. "Miss. Cecile! What's going on?"

"No time, just get out of there!"

"What are you talking about?" Cecile didn't answer, Suzaku tensing when he heard a faint shout in the background. He leaned closer to the phone. "Who's chasing you?"

"Bunch of kids." He heard her take a shaky breath. "Drunk kids, with guns."

Suzaku's hand tightened on the phone as he looked up at Lloyd, the scientist looking grim. "Get home, we'll catch up. But stay on the line."

"Alright." There was relief in Cecile's voice, Suzaku smiling faintly at that as he deactivated the speaker and clipped the phone to his ear.

"Try to catch the last train out. If you can't we'll come and get you." Suzaku turned to Lloyd, surprised to see that the scientist was standing on the other side of the car, the passenger door open. Suzaku shrugged and slammed his own door shut. "Did you drive this thing over?"

"The Lancelot? No. The truck is just a few blocks back."

"Miss. Cecile, if you've missed the train find somewhere to hide and we'll find you."

"Suzaku, we're in a bit of trouble here ourselves."

He froze at that, tipping his head to the side to see out of the side mirrors, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as he saw a group of teenagers running towards them. He pushed open his door, stepping out of the car to stare at them, his stomach twisting as he saw the guns that they were carrying. It was against the law to have guns, but the police were probably too busy with the riots that had started elsewhere to worry about Shinjuku. And there was probably some part of them that didn't care if Britannians died tonight, especially those associated with the Demon Emperor.

Suzaku cursed and dropped back into his seat, slamming the door shut again while he fumbled for his seatbelt with one hand. The soft jingle of metal made him pause, Suzaku staring at the key that Lloyd held. He snatched it out of the scientist's hand and plugged it into the ignition, watching as the screens lit up. To his right, the date for the test run popped up, Suzaku staring at it. "Can we use that?"

"Get us up to eighty-eight. The trailer is just-"

There was a gunshot, Suzaku automatically ducking forward with his hands clutched behind his head. For a moment, he was ten years old again, running through the run down neighborhood that had been his home, afraid that he would get caught by the gangs that were out at night. A sharp gasp pulled him from his memories, Suzaku sitting up straight and looking over at Lloyd.

The scientist was clutching his side, Suzaku's eyes widening at the red that was soaking through Lloyd's lab coat. He reached out to pull Lloyd into the car, frantically trying to work out a plan, only to be pulled back by his seatbelt. "Shit!"

"Suzaku?"

He ignored Cecile, struggling out of his seatbelt to try and reach Lloyd, only to have the scientist tumble to the ground. Suzaku scrambled to the passenger seat. "Lloyd!"

"Suzaku what happened?"

"Lloyd! Get up!" The scientist didn't move, remaining crumpled on the street where he had fallen. Suzaku bit back a sob, glancing at the bunch of teenagers that were getting closer. He reached out to grab Lloyd's arm. "Come on!"

Lloyd didn't move, Suzaku trying to brace himself so he could pull the scientist up into the car, letting out a frustrated sigh when he couldn't pull Lloyd's dead weight into the car. He was too hindered by the lack of space.

"Suzaku, get out of there!"

"I can't! They shot Lloyd." He ducked as another shot was fired, ducking into the car and taking a deep breath. "He won't move, Miss. Cecile."

"Suzaku."

"Oh God…"

"Suzaku, listen to me. Get away before you're shot too."

"But…Lloyd…"

"I'm sorry, Suzaku."

He stared at the body of the scientist for a second before slamming the door to the car shut and pushing himself back into his seat, automatically buckling his seatbelt before looking at the screens again.

His mad dash to get to Lloyd had knocked the destination off, now set to August 2017 instead of a few seconds into the future. Suzaku took a deep breath, he couldn't use that unless he wanted to get stuck in the past. "L-Lloyd said something about a trailer." He had to swallow again, trying to keep himself calm so that he could speak. "I'll come and get you."

"Don't do anything reckless."

Suzaku nodded, not caring that she couldn't see him. Lloyd had said that the truck was just a few blocks away, it was only a matter of finding it. But he didn't want to leave Lloyd's body behind, there was no telling what would happen to it. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel before putting the car into drive. He would swing back around and collect Lloyd before going back.

He looked up again, his mouth dropping open in shock as another car rounded the corner. Suzaku stared at the new threat. "Miss. Cecile?"

"I'm safe."

"Good." Suzaku relaxed a bit before slamming his foot down on the acceleration, speeding towards the oncoming car before pulling the steering wheel to one side to narrowly avoid the car. He winced as he heard metal scrape against metal, one hand dropping from the steering wheel to rest on the button that activated the Blaze Luminous system. He would only use it if there was no other choice. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and turned the car, sending it speeding down the street. Hopefully that would be enough of a distraction for them to keep away from Lloyd.

"Miss. Cecile, I'm coming to get you right now."

"No you should-"

"I'll be fine. Tell me where you are and I'll be there." He checked in his rearview mirror, wincing when he saw that the other car and turned around and was following him. "As soon as I lose them."

Suzaku sped around a corner, widening his eyes as he realized that he was taking the street away from the train station. He glanced around, finding a side road that he could go down, not bothering to slow down. He didn't want to get caught out on the street with this car, especially with the Yggdrasil Drive in the back. Even now he could hear the drive humming softly as it warmed up.

He risked a glance back at the Flux Capacitor, the three rods pulsing faster. Suzaku checked his speed, keeping at a steady fifty miles per hour as he sped through the streets. That was enough to keep him ahead of the other car, and surprising fast for a car equipped with the armor that the Knightmare Frames at used.

Suzaku jumped as there was a thunk from behind him, tensing until he heard a steady whir coming from somewhere behind him.

"Suzaku, what is that?"

"You can hear that?"

"Yeah… Suzaku, that sounds like-"

"A Yggdrasil Drive?"

"Yes!" Suzaku almost questioned how she easily recognized the sound, remembering that she had spent a good portion of her life working on Knightmare Frames. And she had been with Lloyd when he was developing the Yggdrasil Drive for the Lancelot. "Suzaku, where are you?"

The simple answer was on the tip of his tongue before he swallowed, Suzaku stalling for time by glancing over at the panels to check how the car was running. When nothing on them could distract him, he glanced in the rearview mirror, pressing down harder on the accelerator when he saw that the other car was gaining on him.

Finally, with nothing to distract him, he had to answer her. "Inside the Lancelot."

"But it was destroyed."

"Lloyd made…" he couldn't bring himself to say time machine, "he messed with a car and put the armor the outside and the Yggdrasil Drive as well."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you later." Suzaku gritted his teeth and forced the car through a tight turn, sure that he would roll the car. Surprisingly, it remained upright, Suzaku taking a deep breath, finding himself looking at a straightaway, the road stretching out into the distance. And, lining the street were the members of the gang, all of the armed.

Suzaku cursed and slammed on the brake, staring at them before glancing up to see that the pursuit car was slowing down behind him. He looked down at the screens, trying desperately to come up with a plan. He had to drive forward, he knew that, but the car wouldn't survive the barrage of bullets that was sure to come and the Blaze Luminous system wouldn't hold, the display was already warning him that his supply of sakuradiate was low. He wouldn't be getting out of this alive.

That thought made him groan, Suzaku leaning his forehead against the steering wheel, not bothering to look up as he heard a tap on his window. "Hey, Britannian, get out of our neighborhood or we'll send you out, like we did that other one."

He shook his head, his eyes going to stare at the screen that was displaying the time that was set for a trip to the past. He found that he couldn't look away, staring at the display with his mouth open. There was his chance, a hop into the past where Lloyd was. The scientist would have access to sakuradite, enough to send him back to a time before the gang had attacked them. Maybe he would be able to warn Lloyd and Cecile about what would happen so this could be avoided. Even then, it would be simple enough to appear and save Lloyd, he would be able to run both the Blaze Luminous system and the Yggdrasil Drive then.

"Suzaku?"

"Hey, Britannian, did you hear me?"

Suzaku nodded, sitting up and staring at the straightaway. It was his only hope of getting out of here alive and all he needed to do was to input a date where he would be sure to find Lloyd. He glanced at the display one last time, his hand shaking as he reached up to input the first date he could think of, August 10, 2017.

His hand dropped to rest on the lever that would turn on the Blaze Luminous system, trembling as he ran his fingers over the button, sucking in a deep breath. "Eighty-eight."

"What?"

Suzaku forced himself to smile, trying to sound cheerful. "Don't worry Miss. Cecile, I'm alright. It just might…take a little longer to get to you than I thought."

"Suzaku? Suzaku what are you doing?"

He didn't answer, taking another deep breath before slamming his foot against the gas pedal. The car jolted forward, the teenager that had been leaning against it jumping backward with a curse. Faintly, Suzaku heard him giving the urge to fire, wincing as the first bullets knocked against the armor of the car. He glanced down at his speed, watching it rise to sixty, pressing the pedal down a bit further and watching the numbers flash up. Behind him, he could hear the Yggdrasil Drive humming as it generated the energy needed to fling the car backwards in time.

He could hear Cecile shouting at him through his phone, Suzaku trying to tone her out. He took a firmer hold of the lever as his speed approached sixty-five, keeping his eyes on the straightaway that he was speeding down.

There was always a chance that his plan wouldn't work, that Lloyd wouldn't bother with a kid that magically appeared in the past claiming to be his assistant's adopted son. There was a chance that he would get killed as soon as he appeared in the past. And there was a chance that Lloyd wouldn't be able to help him and he would be stuck there.

That last thought made Suzaku flinch. He took a deep breath before speaking, cutting into Cecile's frightened questions. "Miss. Cecile…"

"Yes, Suzaku."

Seventy.

"In case I don't get back…"

Seventy-five.

"I want to thank you…"

Eighty.

"For everything."

Eighty-five.

He heard Cecile suck in a deep breath in surprise, Suzaku jumping as there was a loud crack outside of the car, afraid that he had pushed the car to its limit. Instead, he saw something like blue lightning shoot out in front of him, Suzaku taking a deep breath and pressing the button, watching as a translucent green shield formed around the car, the blue lightening skipping over the shield and coalescing in front of him. Suzaku glanced down to look at his speed, suddenly pushed back into the seat as the car surged forward.

Eighty-eight.

* * *

There was nothing by static on the other line.

"Suzaku? Can you hear me?"

"This isn't funny!"

"Suzaku, answer me! What happened?"

The static was suddenly cut off and the silence was filled with a single tone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is where I apologize for the bungled scientific explanations. Honestly, I could not find how the Flux Capacitor was actually supposed to work at all. So, I did my best to put these three different systems into working order. Also, consider this my apology for the rest of the fic, I'll try my best to get all the techno babble and Knightmare Frame information as correct as I can, but there may be times when I fall a little short. Please, just forgive me.


	2. Chapter 2

**  
Chapter Two   
**

_August 10, 2017_

"Your majesty?"

"Hmm?"

"We've cornered them in Shinjuku."

"Even Clovis?"

"He's with the rest of the JLF."

"Black Knights." When the man still kneeling on the ground didn't speak, he straightened. "We're facing the Black Knights."

"But, your majesty, the uniforms-"

"Are fakes."

"Your orders then."

Violet eyes narrowed as they stared at the screen showing Shinjuku ghetto overlaid by a grid. "Wipe them out."

"And Clovis."

The young emperor grinned. "Him as well."

* * *

Suzaku had to lift his hand from the button as the car shuddered and jerked, the shield created by the Blaze Luminous system staying up for a moment longer before dissolving. He gripped the steering wheel more tightly as the car gave one last lurch before the blinding white light that had filled his view disappeared.

He blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes to the change in lightly, stepping on the brakes so the car would slow down. Suzaku shook his head, closing his eyes for a minute before looking up, yelping and spinning the wheel to the left. The car made a tight turn, Suzaku glancing out of the side mirror as he just missed crashing into the remains of a Knightmare Frame. He looked back to the front again just in time to see another Knightmare bearing down on him.

Suzaku sent the car skidding in the opposite direction, spying the open door of a warehouse out of the corner of his eye. He turned the wheel too fast, trying to get away from the Knightmare and into safety. The car managed to make part of the turn before its momentum proved too much, Suzaku yelping as the car rolled.

His was thrown against the door, jerking forward as far as he seatbelt would allow before sliding to the other side, watching as the shield flickered back on for a moment as he leaned on the button. The car was upright for a moment, teetering in place before falling back onto its side. Suzaku sucked in a breath before pushing himself off the lever, fumbling for his seatbelt and unbuckling it.

The displays were blinking warnings, Suzaku staring at them without comprehension for a moment. The first thing he could focus on was the screen that displayed the time. Lloyd's time machine had worked, he was in the Shinjuku ghetto during the battle, the presence of the Knightmare Frames outside enough of a hint. The next screen that attracted his attention was the one that displayed how much sakuradite he had left, watching as the display blinked at zero, which meant that his gambit had gotten him stuck here. Suzaku groaned, shifting in his seat only to slide and fall against the door that had been pressed against the ground. He groaned and pushed himself back up, checking the last screen to be sure that the car hadn't sustained permanent damage.

From his quick glance, everything was working. Suzaku let out a long sigh before reaching up to pull the key out. He stared at the key for a long moment before grabbing his school bag and shoving the key into it. Now all he had to do was find Lloyd in the midst of this battle and somehow convince the scientist of his existence.

Suzaku reached up to push at the door above his head, eventually having to throw his shoulder against it to get the door to open. He grunted as he swung it open, bringing his school bag with him as he clambered out of the car, glancing around as he unhooked the phone from his ear. It would be useless now since he was in the past. All of the numbers that he had in it wouldn't be around for eighteen years.

He sighed, glancing around the warehouse that he had managed to get himself into before carefully climbing the rest of the way down to the ground. Suzaku took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders to try and keep them from hurting. When that didn't work, he just slumped, forcing himself to ignore the pain as he walked towards the door to the warehouse. He just had to focus on the seemingly impossible task of trudging through miles of wrecked buildings, pieces of Knightmare Frames and bodies to find two people. It was just a matter of finding the Britannian command center and working his way back from there.

Suzaku carefully peered out the warehouse door, jumping back in at a barrage of bullets. He heard a few clatter against the warehouse wall above his head, pressing himself further back against the wall as he heard people run past. When they were gone, he let out a breath he hadn't been aware that he had been holding. Suzaku pressed his hands flat against the metal wall, using that to center himself before darting out into the open again.

He kept low as he ran, taking advantage of every bit of cover that he could find, often having to dive for cover to avoid the next spray of bullets. He could hear the shouts from the foot soldiers and the whirr of the Knightmares as their landspinners bore them through the ghetto, but he found that he was more focused on the screams as people died. Suzaku gritted his teeth and sprinted to the next building, slipping inside and leaning over to catch his breath.

A quick check and he was sprinting again, praying that he was heading in the right direction. Getting caught by the Black Knights in the middle of the battle, wearing an obviously Britannian school uniform would be a death sentence to him. And, without parents to pay a ransom for him, he would be killed right away. Suzaku swallowed, dodging around a piece of rubble and slipping behind a building. Then again, the Britannians might not be too happy to see him either.

Suzaku shivered, absently brushing off his torn and stained jacket before stepping out into the open. He dropped into a crouch and edged towards a chunk of concrete, using it as cover as he peered around it. Thankfully, the buildings here had either fallen down before or during the battle, leaving him a clear view. But it still didn't show him what he needed. Suzaku bit his lip and hunkered down behind the piece of rubble. If he just climbed to the top of one of the buildings…but then he would have to find one that didn't look like it would fall down at any moment.

He peered over the concrete mass again, freezing when he saw something white across the open plain to his right. Suzaku narrowed his eyes in an attempt to block out the glare from the sun, staring at the object. He was sure that it was a Knightmare, but he didn't recognize it from this far away, it didn't match the coloring of any of the others that he had seen. Suzaku was about to turn away when he noticed movement at the base of the Knightmare.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Suzaku ducked out from behind his hiding place and ran across the open plain. This could be his one chance to get going in the right direction. If he could play the scared Britannian schoolboy then he could be sent back; as long as no one really looked at him.

He almost froze halfway between his last hiding spot and the Knightmare, recognizing the white and gold armor. The sounds of bullets being fired behind him was enough to send him running forward again. That still didn't stop him from staring in amazement.

So this was the Lancelot, Lloyd's pride and joy. It looked much more impressive than the squat Sutherlands that he was used to seeing in footage of the War of Ascension. And it looked more human, something almost frightening about that, but Suzaku found that he couldn't look away. Even with his fear of Knightmares, the Lancelot caught his attention.

He shook his head and turned his attention to the man that was splayed out on the ground by the landspinners of the Lancelot. He quickly dropped down to kneel beside the man, his hands trembling as he realized that the man was bleeding out of a wound on his chest. For a single moment, the man was replaced with Lloyd from the future, Suzaku unable to do anything but tremble as he stared down at him.

The man suddenly reached up and grabbed his arm, Suzaku reacting too slowly to pull away, but that didn't stop him from getting a good grip on the man's wrist. The two stared at each other before the man managed a smile. "What are you doing out here kid?"

"Leaving." Suzaku tried not to wince as the man frowned, he didn't know what this soldier would do to him if the man figured out that he wasn't Britannian. Apparently he was in luck, the man was too wounded to care.

"You can't." The man laughed at the look on Suzaku's face at that. "None of us can. These damn Elevens keep rising up to fight." A pained expression crossed the man's face. "Why can't they give up like the rest of the Areas? Why can't they just die? No one can leave, not even the Emperor and he won't stop until Area 11 is quiet."

"Sir, I need your help to-"

"Fucking Elevens." The man released his grip on Suzaku's arm with a long sigh. Suzaku dropped the man's arm, backing away from the dead man and shivering.

He had expected this to be hard when he had decided on this plan, but it had been the only thing he could think of that could save his life and Lloyd's. But he didn't think it would have been this hard. Right now he wanted nothing more than to find a safe place to stay and then chase after the Britannian forces. But he wouldn't let himself freeze up, that was something that he had learned on the streets watching other children like him struggle to stay alive. If you let things overwhelm you, you were dead.

Suzaku sucked in a quick breath before shifting his weight, getting ready to stand up when he heard someone shouting through the incom. He stared at the device attached to the man's ear. Suzaku was tempted to just walk away, he had spent too long here and there was bound to be more Knightmares coming his way, whether from the Britannian side or from the Black Knights. Suzaku nodded to himself, setting a hand down to balance himself and push off the ground, freezing when the voice came over the incom again, recognizing it this time.

"Sir Roger? Sir Roger come in." He froze, leaning forward to be sure that he wasn't just hearing things. He felt strange leaning over a dead body, nearly pressing his ear to the small communication device. Suzaku held his breath, waiting for the next transmission. Thankfully, it came quickly, Suzaku feeling his arms tremble as he listened to the familiar voice. "Sir Roger, the Lancelot still reads as active. Report."

Before he could think over his plan, Suzaku had pulled the incom from the man's ear, pressing it against his own. "Miss. Cecile!"

The voice stopped midsentence, Suzaku realizing his mistake a moment later. Cecile didn't know him, he didn't even exist here yet. He swallowed and looked around, sidling closer to the Lancelot to use the Knightmare as cover.

"Who is this?"

"Uh…" Suzaku glanced down at his uniform before blushing. "I'm a student."

"A student? What are you doing here?"

"I was…"

"Where's Sir Roger?"

"Dead." Suzaku stared at the body. "I tried to save him."

He heard her give a long sigh before Cecile cleared her throat. "We'll send someone out there to bring you back. A student doesn't belong in battle."

"T-thank you." Suzaku tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, leaning back against the Lancelot. Of course they wouldn't have recognized him. But there was some part of him that had hoped that Lloyd and Cecile would have felt something towards him. He sighed and rocked his head back against the Knightmare Frame.

He jumped as there was a crackle of static over the incom, straightening up and smiling when he heard Lloyd's voice. "Student, you still there?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how to pilot a Knightmare Frame?"

"Lloyd!"

The scientist ignored Cecile's shout, Suzaku biting his lip to keep from laughing. It seemed like some things never changed. He sobered up a moment later, actually considering the question that he had been asked. Suzaku ducked his head, staring at his bag. "I might be able to…"

"Yes or no, student."

Suzaku shook his head, momentarily forgetting that Lloyd couldn't see him. "Not as such…"

"Lloyd, you are not going to-"

"We can't risk sending a truck out there. And we have a perfect opportunity to get a better pilot for the Lancelot."

"Lloyd!"

"So, student, can you pilot a Knightmare?"

Suzaku swallowed, his head clenching around his bag. "I could try…"

"Perfect!" Suzaku jumped at the shout. "Coordinates will be relayed."

"R-right." He looked up at the Knightmare, the cockpit looming up above him. His gaze moved to the tow line that was dangling from the seat. Suzaku swallowed and took a step towards the tow line, hesitating. It would be very easy to run away now, but it couldn't do that, not if he wanted to be able to get back home. Suzaku glanced back towards where he thought the warehouse was. After all of this, he would have to find the car again.

He wrapped his hand around the tow line, setting his foot in the stirrup and shivering. The tow line jerked before rising smoothly up towards the cockpit. Suzaku stared at the battlefield as he rose, his mouth dropping open as he saw a group rushing towards him.

"Student?"

"Here." Suzaku stepped off the tow rope, carefully sitting down in the pilot's seat. He glanced around, carefully leaning forward to press the button that allowed the seat to slide back into place. He held his breath as the seat slid back into the cockpit, watching as the screens lit up around him. His eyes jumped from screen to screen, watching information pop up rapidly. He looked down, staring at the activation key as a way to keep himself steady; it was the only thing he recognized in the cockpit.

Cecile spoke over the incom again, Suzaku hunching his shoulders at the tone of voice. He knew that tone all too well from his childhood. "Is it shut down?"

"No, still running." He skimmed over the screens, cautiously reaching forward and wrapping his hands around the joysticks. "And there's a group of foot soldiers coming my way. Enemies."

"Well then-"

"Sir Roger." Suzaku jumped at the voice that came through the speakers in the Knightmare. He trembled before reaching forward, his hand hesitating over a button. He wasn't quite sure if he would be able to operate the Lancelot, he had only piloted the Sutherland simulations, and even then those had been just the bare essentials; communications came in automatically and on a track. He curled his fingers back towards his palm, hesitating a moment more before leaning forward and pressing a button.

"Sir Roger is dead."

"What? Who is this?"

"Suzaku Kururugi."

"An Eleven? What are you doing in this unit?"

Suzaku shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "A loyal servant of the empire." The words felt wrong after being born in a world after the empire had been essentially destroyed. "I've been asked to return the unit to base."

"Very well then."

He sat back, jumping when Lloyd's voice came through to him. "Student."

"Sorry, sir. There was another call."

"Yes, yes, they contacted us first. It seems we have a dilemma."

"Dilemma?"

"You see Sir Roger was using the Lancelot on a trial basis to test out the prototype. Unfortunately, with his death we're minus a Knightmare for the Royal Guard."

"Lloyd, don't you dare! He's just a kid!"

Suzaku stared at the screen in front of him, his hands shaking where they rested on the joysticks. Suddenly he realized just what Lloyd was asking of him. Lloyd was willing to send him into battle to test the Knightmare, despite never having met him and his inexperience. He was being asked to participate in battle against his own people, to kill them and help create the fear of the Knightmare Frame that was so prevalent in his time.

"Cecile it was an order from the emperor himself. You're always telling me that we can't ignore the emperor."

"But we can't just send him into battle. He doesn't even know how to pilot a Knightmare!"

He flinched, listening to their argument in the background as he stared at his shaking hands. It was in his rights to refuse the mission and hand it over to a more experienced pilot. He wouldn't be penalized for turning this mission down, but he would be penalized for failing. Suzaku closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He should just agree to hand the Knightmare over when he got back. But he couldn't stop thinking about the emperor, the eighteen year old that had sat on the float in fear as he was gunned down.

The memory of that look of terror made Suzaku look up, his hands stopping their trembling and gripping the joysticks tightly. He could have the chance to do something about it, he could fight for the emperor and perhaps get rid of his growing obsession with him. Maybe keeping the emperor safe for one battle…but that probably wouldn't be enough.

Still, he would be putting himself in danger, too much danger for it to be worth it. If he died here, Cecile would still be in danger and Lloyd would be dead. Him dying out here would be a horrible way to repay both Lloyd and Cecile for their kindness. He reached up to rub his forehead, feeling his fingers shake as they brushed against his skin.

Of course, there was the choice to run to the Black Knights and turn the Lancelot in. He could help to free his country from Britannia earlier. But he couldn't even bring himself to consider that thought for long.

"Lloyd?"

"Hmm?"

Suzaku took a deep breath, about to refuse when a thought stopped him from speaking. He had gone back to the past, things could be changed just by him being here. The emperor could die today and the empire of Britannia would go into the hands of one of the other heirs; Cornelia, Clovis or Schneizel, but not Nunnally. Nunnally vi Britannia would never rule the Britannian empire and his world would never come to be.

He tried to swallow, his throat suddenly dry as he realized what he had to do. This was beyond just making sure that he had the sakuradite to get back home, he had to make sure that he had a home to get back to. He just had to sit by and wait until the Demon Emperor was assassinated, keep him safe until then. He had a time machine after all.

"Send me the coordinates."

"Ah, taking the mission are we?" Lloyd seemed happy with his decision, obviously ignoring Cecile's shouts from the background. "Alright then."

Suzaku leaned forward, gripping the joysticks, trying to focus on the task ahead of him. He had to ignore the fact that, by accepting this mission, he was going to be firing on his own people. He was going to become a killer, was going to help a killer. Suzaku shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ready, student?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good luck."

Suzaku found that he couldn't respond, giving the controls a final look over before sending the Lancelot into motion. The Knightmare was different to the simulations that he had tried out, it was a bit more responsive to his touch, Suzaku finding himself smiling at that. Suddenly, the daunting task of piloting the Knightmare didn't seem that bad. And, once he joined up with the Royal Guard he could…

The cockpit rocked, Suzaku turning his head and staring at the Knightmares that were bearing down on him. He swallowed and swung the Lancelot around to face them, flinching as more bullets tore at the Knightmare's armor. He glanced down at the array of buttons and levers, trying to find the Blaze Luminous system. His fingers tripped over one button, giving a relieved laugh when the green shield sprung to life on one of the Lancelot's arms.

Suzaku swung the arm in front of him, the bullets pining off of the shield. He gritted his teeth and maneuvered the other arm underneath the shield, waiting for the barrage to pause for a moment. Then he moved, firing the Slash Harken from one wrist and watching as it thrust straight through the cockpit of a Knightmare Frame. Suzaku winced and ducked his head, listening to the Slash Harken retract.

His first kill for the empire.

Suzaku forced himself to look up again, bringing up his shield again as the Knightmares started firing again. He took another glance at the coordinates, gritting his teeth and making his decision. It would be better to get to where the emperor was as fast as he could. He turned Lancelot away with a long sigh. "All hail Britannia."

* * *

He braced himself over the display, watching the flashes on the screen out of the corner of his eye. The Black Knights were putting up a fierce defense, their use of the old subway tunnels that crisscrossed the island were what was hindering him. But, then again, they were depending heavily on the JLF. He had taken their leaders during his first skirmish with the group, Naoto Kozuki had been captured and executed, leaving Kaname Ohgi as his successor. Ohgi was a bumbling idiot with a tendency to hesitate, the only thing that was keeping the Black Knights afloat even now was Kallen, Naoto's younger sister. She was the reason that the JLF had bothered to strengthen the Black Knights' stand here in Shinjuku.

His hands tightened on the side of the display, dropping his gaze to the colored dots, tracing the path Kallen and her Knightmare were taking through his defense. He stared at the path of destruction for a moment before straightening up slowly, glancing at the two squares that were sitting snugly behind enemy lines. One would be were Clovis was, to give the illusion that he was in control of this whole battle. The other was the JLF command, the one that wasn't giving out orders or even bothering to reinforce the positions that they held. He was willing to bet that it was just staffed with the few spare officers from the JLF, no one important enough to bother going after. And, interestingly enough, they seemed to be deferring to Clovis, which made his task much easier.

If he took Clovis' command center not only would that end the battle, but it would shatter what little of the Black Knights that were left as well as give him the chance to remove another contender for the throne. With Clovis no longer a distraction, he could crush the JLF and finish off Cornelia before she got too close to him. She was currently working her way through Area 18 in a desperate attempt to get to him and free her sister. He sneered at the thought, shaking his head. Cornelia should be relieved that he had Euphemia, it meant that she was alive and well, although the threat that he might kill her at any moment was enough cause for Cornelia to worry. If she really believed that.

He had only killed his other half brothers and sisters because they had dismissed his claim to the throne. Only Euphemia and Nunnally had accepted the claim, the others had insisted on fighting, so he had killed them to prove his point. Only he was strong enough to sit on the throne of the Britannian Empire, only he was strong enough to cow the troubled Areas.

He rubbed his forehead, pushing his bangs out of his eyes as he gave the map one last long look before pushing away. "We're going after Clovis."

"But, your majesty-"

He turned to glare at his generals. "You question an order from Lelouch vi Britannia?"

As expected, they cringed. Lelouch lifted a hand to rest it on the table, watching as they shifted nervously. He glared them down, waiting for any of his generals to voice an object, glad when they didn't. He had been systematically working his way through the so called top generals of Britannia, finding them all stupid and slow. They could read the tide of battle, but their skills in predicting what would happen during battle were rusty or nonexistent, all of them lulled into a false sense of security by the superiority of the Britannian military, a lie that could no longer be believed.

When his father had taken Area 11, he had stretched Britannia's resources too far, especially with Areas 9 and 10 still not completely subdued. And still Charles zi Britannia had continued on. The two reasons that the empire hadn't dissolved then were that the people of the world still believed that Britannia was strong, and Lelouch had killed his father before that lie could be shown for what it was. Now, any losses were blamed on the youth of the emperor and not the empire itself.

Lelouch's hand clenched into a fist on the display. Britannia had to hold, if just for a little longer. All his plans were worth nothing if Britannia fell. The country had to stand, for all its corruption and stagnation, just a while longer.

His eyes narrowed as one of the generals stepped forward, leaning on his hand. The general shifted nervously before bowing. "Your majesty, the strategy is sound but we can't risk letting you out there. We can't even be sure that the capture of Clovis will stop this battle."

"We won't capture him."

"Y-your majesty?" Lelouch shot the general a scathing look, the man quickly bowing to cover up his stumble. "Of course, your highness. We'll send one of the reserves out to-"

"No. I'm going."

"But, the Knights of the Round aren't here."

Lelouch pushed away from the display. "I have a Royal Guard for a reason."

"Of course your majesty." It was a credit to the general that he didn't argue, just bowing and walking away. Lelouch leveled a glare at the others, watching them scramble away to pass on his orders.

He remained in place for a moment before growling under his breath and heading towards where his Knightmare was kept. Of course, knowing the generals, they would want him to use the Gawain instead of the Shinkiro that they had stolen from the resistance forces. They preferred having the emperor in their own Knightmare than one built by the Elevens despite the fact that the Shinkiro had better defensive systems. They also liked having someone else in the cockpit to make sure that he didn't do anything reckless. As much as they hated his rule, at least he was keeping Britannia stable and they would be killed by the other heirs for supporting him.

Lelouch stepped into the hangar, watching as the members of the Royal Guard scrambled to mount up, Lelouch watching from the doorway. He shrugged off the excess fabric on his shoulders, passing them off to a servant hovering nearby before striding forward into the hangar.

Immediately all motion stopped, everyone in the hangar bowing to him. Lelouch ignored the motion, walking right over to the Gawain and climbing up to the top to a scaffold that would allow him access to the cockpit. As expected, one of the Royal Guards was sitting in the cockpit. The man bowed to him before sitting back down, Lelouch glancing over at the Shinkiro before stepping down into the second seat.

The cockpit slid shut, Lelouch leaning against one of the armrests, closing his eyes and listening as the orders were relayed over the communications systems. His fingers drummed impatiently on the other armrest. Of course the system checks were important, but the delay meant that Clovis had a chance to get away and he didn't have the time to chase after his half-brother again, especially with Cornelia still on the loose.

"Your Highness," Lelouch looked up as the pilot turned around to look at him, "Sir Roger isn't responding."

"Is the rest of the Royal Guard here?"

"Yes, your highness, but it's-"

"It will be enough." He leaned forward, his eyes skimming over the screens before nodding. "Order them to move out."

"Right."

Lelouch toned out the rest of the orders, settling back into his seat, sitting through the launch. He glanced over the destruction of the ghetto, paying close attention to the information that was coming in from the Factspheres, ready to send his troops into a different formation. But their usual tactic seemed to be holding out, Lelouch sighing and tipping his head forward, his bangs falling over his face. There was something to be said about how efficient that his battle plans were, but it was quickly becoming an established pattern. And that was quickly becoming a weakness as well as a strength.

"Your Majesty." Lelouch looked up quickly, surprised to see Lloyd Asplund's face up on one of the screens. He tipped his head to the side with a smirk.

"Lloyd."

The scientist gave a little bow. "We managed to find the Lancelot and we're sending it over your way."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, Lloyd laughing. He saw the pilot tense as the obvious insubordination, Lelouch ignoring him. "And the pilot?"

"We're trying a change of pilot."

"A change of pilot? In the middle of battle." The pilot scoffed, Lelouch rolling his eyes. "Are you trying to get your emperor killed?"

"Silence!" Lelouch watched as both of the men obeyed his order, ready to put a stop to their arguing when rapidly moving dots attracted his attention. Lelouch turned in his chair, narrowing his eyes before picking up his incom. "All units, enemies approaching."

His eyes widened as the Factspheres were opened to get a better visual of the battlefield, staring at the red Knightmare that was bearing down on them. Lelouch tensed at the panicked shouts from the Royal Guard, cursing as the pilot of the Gawain took him away from the action. He clung to his armrests, trying to keep himself from behind tossed around too much.

The pilot cursed, suddenly spinning the Knightmare around again, Lelouch catching a glimpse of more Knightmares rushing towards them. Lelouch rebalanced himself, about to give more orders when something slammed into the Gawain. He was thrown forward, nearly tumbling out of his seat as the pilot tried to stabilize the Knightmare Frame. "Your Highness, we should retreat. They were-"

"Call for more reinforcements! Get the emperor to safety!"

Lelouch leaned forward. "You will not obey that order!"

"But, your highness, your life is not worth this risk."

He gritted his teeth as the pilot began to retreat, Lelouch tempted to take control of the Knightmare. But that would just end with the Gawain crashing, and that would be no use to him. Lelouch got a better grip on his seat, taking in the battle. It would be a simple thing to defeat the rest of the Knightmares, but the Guren would prove challenging.

All of the pilots of the Royal Guard had been placed in their positions by their families. None of them had much, if any, combat experience. It was why he preferred the Knights of the Round as his guard. They would have been ready for this attack and already acting on their own. Lelouch gritted his teeth, glaring at the Royal Guards as they slowly fell apart.

"Incoming Knightmare. It's the Lancelot!" Lelouch looked up abruptly, staring at the white Knightmare that was speeding towards them. He sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead when he saw the Lancelot wobble on its approach. If only Cornelia had gone down with the rest of her Glaston Knights, then he could have had the Knights of the Round instead of these bumbling idiots.

Lloyd's face flickered back onto the screen, a smile on the scientist's face. "Ah, so the student has arrived."

"Student?" The pilot paused in his frantic attempts to fight off the Knightmares. "You would trust a student with a Knightmare prototype and his majesty's safety?"

"He volunteered."

The pilot laughed, shaking his head. "This mission is too dangerous. I'm calling it, your majesty."

Lelouch shook his head, reaching out to press the button that would allow his set of controls to activate. If the pilot even dared to try and abort this mission he would take control of the Knightmare. They couldn't risk letting Clovis get away, not now. If Clovis joined forces with the JLF then they would push for their freedom again. Even if Clovis wasn't useful on the battlefield, just having him would attract the other royal heirs. Those remaining wanted to stay together, hoping that they could pool their forces to defeat him. But they had moved too slowly, attempting to pool the Britannians that were against him before going to the Areas. And, by then, he had completely subdued the rebellions and had moved on, always one step ahead of them.

All of them except for Schneizel.

He pushed thoughts of his half brother away as the white Knightmare recovered and charged forward. Lelouch tensed as the Knightmare dodged in front of the Royal Guards, a green shield on its arm raised. The Lancelot remained crouched behind the shield for a moment before pushing one arm forward. The Knightmare pushed the other arm forward, firing its Slash Harken. Even before the weapon had buried itself into the Knightmare Frame's armor, the Lancelot was moving forward, using the shield to push away another Knightmare.

Lelouch watched the Lancelot continue to plow through the opposing force of Knightmares, humming to himself and leaning forward. This student was proving himself to be better than the Royal Guards. Lelouch rested his chin against one hand, a smile crossing his face as the Lancelot slammed into the Guren, managing to force the Knightmare back. Lelouch nodded slowly before looking back down at his pilot. With the other Knightmares acting as his shield and the Lancelot as his sword, he could get to Clovis' headquarters.

"All Knightmares, continue on your course."

"But your highness-"

"Yes, your majesty!" Lelouch smiled at the enthusiastic reply from the Lancelot. He reached up to rest his fingers against the incom. There was a soft grunt from the pilot, Lelouch turning his head to watch as the Lancelot backed away from the Guren. The Lancelot retreated back to the Gawain's side, raising its shield up again.

"That's the proper way to respond to my orders."

There was a moment of hesitation before the rest of the Royal Guard spoke up. "Yes, your majesty."

Lelouch smirked, gesturing for his pilot to move forward. Reluctantly the pilot sent the Gawain speeding across the battlefield again. The Lancelot fell into place just to the right of the Gawain, Lelouch nodding to himself.

Their route to Clovis was mostly clear, the rest of the Black Knights occupied with Lelouch's troops. Lelouch leaned his cheek against his hand, listening to the reports coming in from the other commanders, smiling when the report came in that a squadron of Knightmares had made it to the JLF command center. And, as he expected, they found it empty. The JLF commanders had called their men back before they could be captured. It was a sure death knell for the Black Knights, now they only had Ohgi and Kallen.

He looked up at a faint beep from the screens in front of him, Lelouch watching as Clovis' command center loomed ahead of them. He looked to the side, watching as a group of Knightmares charged towards them, a last minute attempt and save their prince. Lelouch leaned forward, watching the Royal Guard start to form up around him, the move making him scowl. They were probably trying to save face after they had been humiliated by the Lancelot's new pilot.

He would let them have their moment, but any further delay would give Clovis a chance to get away. Clovis would have already heard about the desertion of the JLF and, knowing his half brother, Clovis would flee. That would just draw this battle out for too long, long enough for Clovis to find where Schneizel was hiding or for Cornelia to rush to Area 11, following the trail to her sister.

Lelouch gritted his teeth before leaning forward. "Royal Guard, take out those Knightmares. Lancelot, remain by my side."

The Gawain broke away from the rest of the Royal Guard, the Lancelot following a moment later. Lelouch watched the white Knightmare wobble a bit in its path, frowning. Whoever was in the Lancelot obviously had very little skill in piloting, at least until he was forced into a battle situation, then he was top notch. He hummed to himself, turning his head to watch the Lancelot. It was an improvement over Sir Roger, and the pilot was very eager to please, actually competent this time.

"There's no resistance." The pilot swallowed. "I don't like this."

"It's just the mark of a coward. Clovis hoped to distract us with one last attack while he sneaks away. Bring the Gawain alongside the command center and then lower the tow rope."

"Your highness, I'm afraid I can't allow you to do this."

"Then let me go alone."

"Your majesty!"

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Lancelot."

"Yes?"

"You will accompany me to find my brother."

"Of course."

Lelouch smirked, standing up and opening the cockpit. The pilot immediately stopped the Gawain, staring back at him in shock. Lelouch climbed out of the cockpit, carefully climbing down the Knightmare since the pilot refused to lower the tow rope.

He was winded by the time he got to the ground, leaning against the Knightmare and gasping for breath. Lelouch steadied himself before turning around, blinking in surprise as he watched a teenager walking towards him from the Lancelot. He raised an eyebrow at the black uniform before focusing on the appearance on the pilot.

The Lancelot's new pilot wasn't much to look at, tall and thin with a mess of curly brown hair. Lelouch watched as the teenager bowed, the move awkward and unpracticed. Still, the respect was appreciated. He took a step forward, rest his hand on the top of the pilot's head. He felt the teenager tense up at the move, but the pilot didn't resist, Lelouch smirking at this. "Now this, is true loyalty."

Lelouch lifted his hand from the teenager's head, walking towards the run down building that they had been using as a base. He heard the teenager get up behind him and fall into place. The teenager only remained behind him until they had walked into the building. Lelouch tensed as the teenager slipped past him. "Your Highness, I'm not sure if this is safe. Neither of us is armed."

"Ah, so the pilot shows his cowardice."

"It's not cowardice, your highness." Lelouch stopped, turning to look at the teenager, watching as he shifted nervously. "It's just worry."

"Worry?" He laughed. "You are just a school boy, not a knight or even a part of my guard."

"I am a…" there was a long pause as the teenager stumbled over the words, "a loyal citizen of the Britannian empire."

Lelouch smirked, deciding to let the pause go without questioning. At this point, he was desperate for loyal, competent followers. Most of them were tired of war, tired of the struggle for power. None of them could understand that he couldn't stop until everything was settled. The world could not be changed by just ignoring the turmoil within the empire. "And, as a loyal citizen, will you follow my orders?"

The teenager hesitated before bowing again. "Of course, your highness."

"Then rise," he turned, "and follow me."


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter Three **

_August 10, 2017_

Lelouch watched as the teenager took down another guard with little effort, weighing the gun in his hand. All of his guesses about the teenager had been right, he would make a valuable addition to his Royal Guard. More practice with a Knightmare and he would make a perfect knight. Lelouch's hand clenched around the gun in his hands, looking up as the teenager stood up.

He pushed his hair out of his eyes, Lelouch enjoying the view for a moment before walking forward, stepping carefully over the body of the guard. "Well done."

"Thank you, majesty."

He stepped around the teenager, heading further into the building. The way the corridor was built, the teenager had to keep close to him, their shoulders brushing. Usually he would get annoyed but such a familiarity, but he let the teenager get away with it. It was probably because the teenager wasn't paying any mind towards the faint touches, or because it was just protective. Nothing he did seemed to be calculated to get him further into Lelouch's favor.

Lelouch was brought to a stop when he threw out an arm to stop him, his gaze focused on the flickering light that came from the nearest door. Lelouch tipped his head to the side, carefully stepping around the protective arm and striding into the room. There was a half whispered warning from the teenager that he ignored, Lelouch smirking when he saw Clovis leaning over a small screen.

"What do you mean you made them retreat? I needed them here!" There was a pause. "I don't care. The battle will turn. If we hold out here long enough, Cornelia will come to help us!"

"Cornelia? Is that your plan?" Clovis dropped the communicator that he had been holding to his ear, spinning around and staring at him in shock. Lelouch tipped his head to the side, taking in the broken furniture and the knocked over chairs. "And I thought you would have retreated by now. Or do you have nowhere to go?"

Clovis just stared at him, dropping to his knees and fumbling for the communicator, probably getting ready to call for back up. Lelouch stepped to the side, raising his gun. "By your actions I'm guessing that you have nowhere left to go. You received orders to hold this place until Cornelia came. Or was it for Schneizel?"

There was no answer for his half-brother. Lelouch raised one shoulder in a partial shrug. "I see."

Clovis snapped out of his shock, clumsily pulling out his gun and aiming it at Lelouch. "Why couldn't you…why couldn't you…"

"Why couldn't I what, brother?"

"Die!" The word was less of an order and more of a frightened sob. Clovis closed his eyes and tried to steady his aim.

There was a gunshot, Clovis letting out a scream of pain and dropping his gun. Lelouch blinked and looked over at the teenager as he walked through the door, surprised by the look of disgust on the teenager's face. The teenager glanced at him and shrugged. "M-missed."

Lelouch's eyes widened before he let out a laugh. "Have you even held a gun before?" When the teenager looked away, he smirked, lifting his own gun. "Well, let me finish what you started."

He fired the gun, the bullet hitting Clovis directly in his forehead. His half-brother gasped before falling backwards, the communicator tumbling from his hands.

Lelouch walked forward, keeping his gun trained on Clovis' body. He waited until he was closer before firing another shot into his half-brother's heart. There had been far too many times in battle that he had almost gotten shot because he had walked away from a body that he had thought dead. He smirked, gently nudging Clovis' body with his foot before turning back to the teenager. "You did well."

He saw the hesitation in the teenager's eyes, watching the teenager lower the gun before dropping into one of his uncoordinated bows. "Thank you, your highness."

So, there had been a moment that the teenager had wanted to point out that he had botched his shot. Not only loyal but honest. And strong, from what he had seen out in the hallways. Lelouch tipped his head to the side, carefully tucking the gun into a fold of his ornate outfit. He walked over to the teenager, motioning for him to stand.

Once again, there was a moment of hesitation before the teenager complied, like he wasn't used to obeying orders. But it wasn't enough hesitation to be considered insubordination. Lelouch took another step forward, stepping around to stand behind the teenager. For a moment, he was tempted to reach out and run his hand along the teenager's arm. He pulled his arm back, just to keep temptation at bay. The teenager would get enough practice with a gun in the Royal Guard.

Lelouch pushed those thoughts away, allowing himself a smile. "And yet I still don't know your name."

"Kururugi Suzaku." The teenager tensed immediately after he had spoke, realizing his blunder a second too late.

Lelouch's eyes narrowed at the introduction. So, the boy an Eleven, probably one of those that still clung to the hope that Area 11 would one day become Japan again. But that didn't explain the obviously Britannian school uniform and his actions. If this boy was one of the Elevens who was sympathetic to the rebellion, why had he bothered to follow Lelouch with the Lancelot? He would have gotten more recognition for doing that. Or had he followed him to kill him?

"I'm…I apologize, your majesty. It's just…habit." The teenager cleared his throat. "My name is Suzaku Kururugi."

"You're an Eleven." Lelouch watched Suzaku flinch at that, but he made no other moves. That was impressive in itself. All the other Elevens that he had come in contact with had stared at him with a mixture of disgust and annoyance before realizing who they were talking to. Suzaku kept his expression blank. "An impressive one at that."

That got a spark of interest in Suzaku's eyes. Lelouch motioned for him to follow, stepping back out into the hallway and making his way down towards where they had left the Knightmares. He would call the Royal Guard in to destroy this building completely later, just to make sure that they had gotten everyone. Even he wouldn't take the risk of rushing through with only Suzaku to guard him, no matter how good the Eleven was proving himself to be.

Lelouch smiled to himself, quickly replacing it with his usual bored expression as he stepped out of the building. He glanced up at the Knightmares of the Royal Guard as they quickly gathered around him, noticing that the Gawain had lowered its tow line. He rolled his eyes, turning abruptly to face Suzaku, watching as the teenager came to a stop and immediately averted his gaze. "Tell Lloyd that he's forbidden from stealing you away." Suzaku's shoulders jerked back at that, Lelouch fighting his smile back. "And also tell him that I will take the Lancelot on as one of the Knightmares in the Royal Guard, provided that you are the one to pilot it."

He turned away before Suzaku had the chance to respond, slipping his foot into the stirrup of the tow rope. The pilot of the Gawain began to pull him up, Lelouch smirking at the shocked expression of Suzaku's face before he turned away, slipping back into his seat in the cockpit and giving the orders to head back to their command center.

* * *

Suzaku gritted his teeth as he guided the Lancelot back towards the coordinates that Lloyd had fed him as soon as he had reported back in. His hands trembled on the joysticks, but Suzaku couldn't tell whether it was from anger or disgust. He had spent the better part of the afternoon debasing himself to the one person that he was supposed to hate, the only person that everyone was allowed to hate without risking judgment of their peers. He had even kept the Demon Emperor from dying because of that one stupid thought that he had.

He had to keep reminding himself that he wasn't doing this to save the emperor, he was doing this to save his country. He had learned all he had from the other Britannian princes and princesses from their actions and speeches during this war, and that was enough to keep him going on this track. Cornelia would have just debased them further and kept Japan as Area 11 while Schneizel would have been as bad as Lelouch. So he had to stand by this emperor just to be sure that Lelouch lived long enough to achieve what had to be done. Then his sister Nunnally could take the throne and he would be safe to go home.

Besides, it would give him an excuse to keep seeing Cecile and Lloyd, seeing as Lelouch had ordered him to remain the pilot of the Lancelot. He could just take them out to where he had left the time machine and try to fill them in on what had happened. Hopefully they would believe him and help him get the sakuradite that he needed. Otherwise, he might be stuck here with Lelouch for a long while.

Suddenly, he wished that he had been less helpful.

Suzaku reached up and raked the hair out of his eyes, wincing as he tugged at his hair a bit too harshly. How was he supposed to be a member of the Royal Guard if he wanted to kill the emperor at every turn? Even then, how was he supposed to deal with the obvious superiority in the emperor's voice? He wasn't the product of this world, he was used to being able to call himself Japanese with a measure of pride. Here, he would have to debase himself and work hard to keep this position that he had fallen into accidentally.

"Student." He jerked upright slightly at the sound of Lloyd's voice, focusing his attention on the van he was approaching. In the dim light of the evening he could just read the faded paint that was on the side; A.S.E.E.C. Suzaku smiled at that, remembering some of the stories that Lloyd and Cecile had told about their days there, always skirting around the subject of who they worked for even thought Suzaku had already known by then. He sighed, staring at the controls as he tried to remember the proper order for docking a Knightmare. "Student, are you still alive in there?"

"I am."

"Good. No scratches on the Lancelot I hope."

"I can't tell."

"Hmm…" Suzaku couldn't tell if Lloyd was truly annoyed with him or just teasing. He took a deep breath, relaxing when Lloyd spoke again, no trace of annoyance in his voice. "Can you dock the Lancelot?"

"Possibly."

"Cecile will guide you then."

Suzaku shook his head, waiting for the familiar voice. He found himself relaxing more, not realizing how much he had tensed up since he had sat in the cockpit of the Lancelot. "I'm guessing that you managed not to kill yourself."

"No. And I managed to get the Lancelot back in one piece."

"Lloyd will be thrilled. Now, do as I say."

Suzaku sighed, focusing back on the controls. He followed her commands by the letter, trying to keep the Lancelot from wobbling or even falling as he brought the Knightmare back into the van. Suzaku held his breath as he maneuvered the Lancelot into place, remaining tensed in place longer than he had to.

When he was sure that the Knightmare was safely in place, he let out his breath. Suzaku reached for his bag, setting it on his lap before reaching for the button that would slide the cockpit out. Suzaku ducked his head, feeling a bit claustrophobic as he slid out into the open.

He blinked under the bright lights of the interior, carefully stepping out onto the scaffold. He looked around the large truck, looking down at the people who were calmly sitting behind the computer consoles. He recognized Lloyd and Cecile immediately, moving to take a step forward only to rock back onto his heels.

They didn't know him yet. They weren't his family. They weren't his.

Suzaku flinched at that thought, managing to gather himself back together and walk down to their level, hesitating nervously. In this situation he didn't know what to do. With the emperor it was easier, he just had to bow. With the others in the army, he just had to act subservient. He finally just tipped his head, watching as Cecile stood up. "Hello."

"Ah, so this is our student?" Lloyd strolled forward, ignoring the others who scrambled to look over the Lancelot, plugging various lines into the Knightmare. Suzaku watched them for a moment, jumping when Lloyd flung an arm around his shoulders. "Impressive for someone with no experience."

"T-thanks."

Lloyd was already moving away, peering at the screen as the information from the Lancelot was transferred. He was tempted to go and stare at the stats, but he found that he didn't want to move from the spot. Suzaku looked around the van, taking in the sparse decorations, just the two consoles, a few chairs scattered around and a folding table. Unable to distract himself long with that, Suzaku looked back at Lloyd, finding himself staring right back at the scientist.

"What do we have here? A capable devicer?"

"Lloyd, don't encourage him." Cecile turned to face him, her expression stern. Suzaku automatically ducked his head, getting a better grip on his bag. "He should go back home. This isn't the place for him. It's not safe."

Suzaku glanced up at Cecile in surprise, the expression going unnoticed by her as she turned to argue with Lloyd. It was refreshing to know that she still cared about him, in a way. She was only angry because he had agreed to put himself into danger and Lloyd had encouraged him, it was a familiar pattern. Suzaku smiled to himself before carefully drawing himself up, hating himself for having to lie to his adopted parents. "I have nowhere to go."

The argument between the two immediately stopped, Cecile turning to stare at him while Lloyd took the chance to retreat to his chair, probably planning on sifting through the information while he had the chance. Suzaku returned his gaze to Cecile, watching as her eyes softened. "You don't?"

"My home is…" Suzaku debated over what to tell her before finally settling on one word and slumping, "gone."

"Oh." He felt Cecile's hand land on his shoulder, Suzaku trying not to reach out and pull her into a hug. Right now, that would be too forward of him. Besides, this isn't the same Cecile who had taken care of him, the same Cecile that had helped him with his homework or comforted when he had nightmares. Suzaku swallowed and nodded, staring at the floor. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Cecile's grip on his shoulder got stronger, Suzaku allowing himself to be led away from the two consoles. He was just about to ask where she was taking him when one of the scientists jumped in surprise. "Lloyd, Cecile, we've got a call from the emperor."

"The emperor?" Lloyd stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "What would he call down here for?"

Suzaku saw the screen on the computer flicker to life, tensing at the sight of Lelouch. The emperor gave him a quick look before leaning back in his chair. "Lloyd Asplund, just the man I was looking for. Your prototype preformed well in battle today, I'm impressed."

"Impressed enough to allow the Lancelot to be in active service?" The question got Lloyd elbowed by Cecile, the scientist shooting her an annoyed look before turning back to the call.

"Indeed." Suzaku felt his stomach sink at the smile that Lelouch gave, feeling the emperor's gaze land and remain on him. He looked away, trying to find something else to stare at. He thought he heard a chuckle from the emperor. "But only if Suzaku Kururugi continues to pilot it."

"Suzaku…" Lloyd turned to look at him in confusion. Suzaku waited for the obvious to be stated, surprised when Lloyd looked back at the screen. "Even inexperienced as he is."

"I assume that you've already downloaded the information from the Lancelot." Suzaku glanced up at the screen again, tensing at the smirk that was directed at him. "Report that to me."

He felt Cecile's hand on his shoulder tighten for a moment, hoping that she would warn Lloyd against this. He would prefer to just pilot the Lancelot as a part of the A.S.E.E.C. When Cecile had talked about their service in the War of Ascension it had always been from the back of the lines. It was easy to assume that the Lancelot had never gotten into the Royal Guard, that it had been passed from pilot to pilot with those stories.

Suzaku swallowed harshly as Lloyd brought up the stats again. He had gambled and made a mistake, it would have been better if he had just brought the Lancelot back instead of gaining the attention of the emperor.

"Ah." Lloyd adjusted his glasses, giving Suzaku one last look before returning his gaze to the screen. "His sync rate was ninety-four percent."

"Ninety-four." The emperor hummed. "Most pilots peek at about sixty or sixty-five. Most of the Rounds are only working at eighty-five or ninety. And here we have someone working at ninety-four as a rookie." Lelouch tipped his head to the side. "And I think he can do better."

"Of course, your highness."

"I want Kururugi and the Lancelot to be part of my Royal Guard. For experience only of course, I can't put an Eleven in the Rounds without any explanation." Suzaku tensed at that, sure that his mouth had dropped open. The emperor was considering that. He blushed and looked away from the screen, sure that he had heard Lelouch laugh. "See if you can get him to do better than ninety-four percent."

"Of course."

"I'll be expecting him tomorrow when I return to the field. Be ready by then." The communication cut off immediately, leaving Suzaku staring at the screen in shock. From one performance and a percentage the emperor had decided that he would make a Knight of the Round. He didn't know whether to be excited or horrified, although he supposed that it should have been the latter. This was guaranteed to be nothing more then a cruel joke on the emperor's part, a way to further prove to the Japanese that they were good for nothing or that the emperor could do whatever he wanted with them.

Suzaku turned away from the screen, clenching his free hand into a fist. It was going to be hard to not just kill the emperor himself. He just had to keep reminding himself that he just had to stay here long enough to make sure the emperor lived for another year.

He looked up as Cecile walked around to his side, smiling at him. "Come on, we'll find you a place to stay for tonight." She began to lead the way through the truck. "I'm guessing that you'll be staying with the rest of the Royal Guard after this."

Suzaku winced at that. He had heard too many horror stories about what had happened to Japanese soldiers who stayed in the barracks. He didn't want to spend the rest of his time here being raped. Cecile seemed to understand, resting her hand on his shoulder again. "Sorry, sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"It's not your fault." She didn't respond to that, Suzaku glancing up to look at her. He was surprised by the guilty look on her face, wondering what that was about before he was guided into the front of the truck, Cecile shaking out a spare lab coat.

"Sorry. But this is the best that we've got."

Suzaku stared at the bench seat, forcing himself not to compare it to his bed at home. He had spent almost a year on the streets, he should know how to deal with an uncomfortable place to sleep for a night. He turned and smiled at Cecile before carefully kicking off his shoes and flopping down onto the seat, surprised when she spread the lab coat over him. When he went to thank her, she just shook her head. "Don't worry about it, you needed a place to stay and you've made Lloyd happy."

He raised one shoulder in a shrug. "I think I've messed up."

"No. It's better to be here then out there. At least here you'll get food and some recognition for your actions. It's better than starving."

Suzaku gave her a smile, allowing her to think that was what he had meant before he shrugged and turned onto his side. He held his breath until Cecile had left before letting it out in a rush, reaching up to press the heels of his hands to his eyes. He had stupidly thought this over a bit too much, which was a common problem. He would either charge in without thinking or hanging back and think too much. Suzaku groaned and let his hands drop, turning onto his other side and staring at the darkness inside of the cabin.

It would have been easier if he had just gone with his gut instinct of just taking the Lancelot back. Then he could have reported the car, helped them find it and then somehow convinced Lloyd and Cecile that they had to help him on this. This mission was supposed to be just a stop over to escape from the people that had been chasing him, enough for him to jump back before those teenagers had shot Lloyd. He had managed to interfere with his own plans, Suzaku suddenly wanting to hit his head against something hard at that thought. After this, he would stop watching bad science fiction movies with Cecile, especially when they involved time travel. He was willing to bet anything that the same train of thought used in those had gone through his mind too fast for him to really latch on to.

He let his hands drop back down, curling up into his normal sleeping position and staring out into the dark of the cab. He wasn't sure where the other scientists would sleep, or if Lloyd would even let them sleep. Knowing Lloyd, he would probably run them until morning to have the Lancelot ready for when the emperor gave the orders to move out. Suzaku smiled at that, taking comfort from the fact that he could still recognize a few things about this world. He allowed himself to relax a little more, closing his eyes and just listening to the muffled sound of people rushing around.

* * *

Lelouch leaned back in his chair, watching as the screen flickered to blank, giving a long sigh. He reached up to pull his hat off his head, turning it in his hands before allowing himself to slump. Operations in the Shinjuku ghetto were nearly complete, the last of his troops finishing off the rest of the Black Knights. He was sure that they were just slipping away, but to chase them through the old subway tunnels was useless and suicidal. He would just have to wait until they emerged again. But they had struck a good blow against this resistance group, the last remaining one aside from the JLF. And, if what he had observed was true, then the JLF were just offering up the Black Knights as a shield, which meant that they would be well entrenched wherever they were when Lelouch finally found them.

He frowned at that, turning in his chair to the chessboard that he had set up on his desk, pushing the remaining white knight out of the way to pick up the black king and roll it around in his hand.

The Knights of the Round were deployed in Area 18, scouring the deserts there for Cornelia. Part of him just wanted to let Luciano Bradley lose in Area 18 to finish off Cornelia, but there was a large chance that he would lose half the infrastructure that he needed in the Area. Lelouch sighed and tossed the king into the air, catching it before returning to rolling it around in his palm. He had a sound strategy when they actually found Cornelia, but he hated having to wait. His half sister was a veteran on the battlefield, a fact that he had learned the hard way when he had almost lost Area 6 to her. At the moment, she was more dangerous than Schneizel, and that was saying something.

His oldest, and now only, half-brother was still hiding. He was probably somewhere in the EU, hoping to garner some allies there. Lelouch had to smile at that. With the Knights of the Round so close, the EU wouldn't want to make a move against him. It would only take one call to have them sweep up into the EU and bring it into his control, Area 19. The king was tossed into the air again, Lelouch smirking. Schneizel was pinned now, or at least until Cornelia was brought down. Still, she could be using this chance to escape, something that was completely out of character for her.

Lelouch eyed the chessboard again, his hand tightening around the black king. No, she would stay where she was and turn to fight, just as he expected. He had learned much about her while he was chasing her out of Area 6, enough to know that he had horribly underestimated her at first and that she should never have access to Schneizel. With his genius and her battle record, Lelouch would be done for. But that's what the Knights of the Round were for, they had the brute strength and experience that he needed, which was why he had allowed them to go.

Which had left him here with his regular forces pushing back the Black Knights.

He leaned his check against his hand, setting the black king back on the board before picking up the white knight, turning it over in his fingers. He smirked and stroked his pinkie between the horse's ears before going back to turning it in his hands. The appearance of the Eleven was a boon to him, especially with the Knights of the Round off in Area 18. The Royal Guards insisted on being complete failures at their jobs, only good for ceremonies. Lelouch flipped the knight over, staring at it as it hung upside down between his fingers before flipping it back up.

Perhaps he would give into his sisters' and generals' demands and have a guard by him at all times, he had finally found someone competent enough to do the job. And it helped that Suzaku Kururugi wasn't that bad to look at, it was a guaranteed distraction at the meetings he didn't want to be at.

Lelouch smiled to himself, caressing the knight with a finger before shaking his head and nearly slamming it down onto the board. He couldn't be thinking like that, Kururugi was a guard and nothing more, a necessary annoyance. With Cornelia on the run and Schneizel so close, it was about time he had someone to guard him. He shook his head as his thoughts strayed dangerously close to another kind of guard. He couldn't make the Eleven a knight, not only because it would undermine his plans of forcing them into submission, but it would also put him in danger. What if Kururugi had been lying about his loyalties?

If he couldn't trust the Eleven there then he certainly couldn't put him in the Knights of the Round, even if there was a space open. There were already more than enough knights to keep the subjugated Areas in check. But still, it would be a waste to continue to hold Kururugi back with the Royal Guard. Although that in itself would keep Suzaku close to him.

Lelouch groaned, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands. He was getting tired if he was thinking like this. What he needed to do now was check over the reports and sleep to get ready for tomorrow. Then, he would be going back to his temporary home in the Tokyo Settlement. He could see his sisters then, relax and take a moment to breathe before going back to carefully organizing his plans. More than anything he needed that moment to center himself before he could focus on what he had to do.

He looked up as the screen flickered, quickly forcing a smile on his face as he spotted his half sister. Lelouch straightened up in his chair, letting his arms drop back to the armrests. "Hello Euphy."

"Lelouch!" She gave him a wave before sitting back in her chair. She pulled her hair to the side, beginning to braid it, the habit she had gotten into when she had decided to grow it out. "Why didn't you call earlier?"

"I was busy."

Euphemia paused in her braiding, letting her hair fall over her shoulder. "You missed Nunnally. She wanted to talk to you before bed."

"I was busy."

She nodded slowly, not looking at him. "She listened to the news all day, waiting for the reports. She never let go of that radio." Euphemia bit her lip, returning to her braiding. "She was scared, Lelouch. Nunnally waited for you to call, and you never did."

"I was-"

"Busy, I know." She finished off the end of the braid and looked back up at him. "You're never there for her anymore Lelouch."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call to make me feel guilty, Euphemia?"

She straightened up, her back going ram-rod straight. She was annoyed with him now, Lelouch could see the signs. Euphemia narrowed her eyes, unconsciously imitating her sister's usual expression. He merely leaned back further in his seat, pressing his hands together.

Euphemia frowned when her glare had no impact on him. She slumped with a long sigh. "No. No one can make you feel guilty, Lelouch. Just remember that Nunnally adores you and she worries every time you go out."

"I'm making sure that she'll be safe."

"I know that, and she knows that. But if you just had someone there that we could trust to keep you safe." Lelouch sighed and rubbed his forehead, hearing Euphemia mutter something to herself. "Maybe a knight or something."

"Not a knight. I can't trust anyone enough for that." Lelouch smirked. "I can take care of myself."

"And you take care of us as well." Euphy gave him a soft smile.

"I'm fine."

She rolled her eyes. "You would say that Lelouch. But you need a break," she blushed, "or at least someone to take your mind off things. You're under a lot of stress."

Lelouch only kept his mouth shut through his sheer willpower. He made a muffled choking noise before he gathered his composure again. "Are you telling me that I need to get laid?"

Euphemia squeaked and covered her mouth with her hands, obviously trying not to laugh. She managed to gather her composure, trying to look shocked even as she continued to laugh. "You don't have to say it like that!"

"But that was what you were implying." The corner of his mouth twitched up in a smile and she shook his head. "Cornelia would kill me where I stood if she knew what I allowed you to do."

Euphemia had the grace to blush, her hands falling away from her mouth to be folded on her lap. Lelouch allowed himself a fond little smile as she stared at her lap, wiping the expression away when she looked up at him, still blushing. "I am almost a grown woman, Lelouch. And it's my right as a princess to choose a knight to champion me. Cornelia has Guilford, why can't I choose one?"

"Because Sir Raleigh is the Knight of Five. He's already in my service."

"Oh, I don't want him as my knight. He's just…"

"Stress relief." Euphemia blushed again, Lelouch rolling his eyes. "Cornelia really will kill me when she finds out all the things I've let you get away with."

She shrugged, smiling a bit as she looked up at him. "At least I've gotten a few smiles out of you tonight. That's better than before."

Lelouch dipped his head slightly, acknowledging her point. "I'll be back by tomorrow, I promise."

"You promise a lot of things." Euphemia sighed at that, flipping the braid of her hair over her shoulder. "Still, it will be nice to have you back. We'll be able to sit back out in the garden at night and watch the stars, just like we used to."

Lelouch glanced away, clearing his throat before nodding. "We'll do that."

He leaned forward to get ready to cancel the call, pausing at the concerned look on her face. Lelouch sighed and let his head drop, considering his options. While he didn't have anyone that he could trust to be his knight, and he wouldn't trust anyone with that position, it wouldn't hurt to have a pair of guards that followed him around, especially with everything he had done and with the most dangerous of his siblings left to oppose him. He took a deep breath and switched off the call.

His hand lingered over the button for a while longer before he allowed it to slip off. Lelouch stared at the blank screen before lifting himself from his chair and shuffling over to the bed and collapsing onto it. He remained there for a moment before sitting up and peeling off his clothes. As much as he just wanted to fall asleep, he forced himself to hang up his clothes and slip on his pajamas, shuffling back to the small bed that was tucked into an alcove in the mobile command center. His last conscious thought was pulling the covers over him before he settled into sleep.

* * *

Kallen waited as the last of their ragtag group of Knightmares rolled out of the subway tunnels and towards the trailers. She sent the Guren after them, squeezing the red Knightmare Frame into the one remaining spot left before descending. She carefully gathered up the lines and wires to her Knightmare, waving off the mechanics who offered to help, taking in their exhausted, grease covered faces. It wouldn't kill her to take care of the Guren on her on her own once, especially with everyone so tired. And she couldn't blame them, not after the successful attack that the emperor had pulled off.

She restrained herself from hitting the Guren, reminding herself that the Knightmare had done nothing to deserve her anger, it was performed perfectly for only its third time out. It was the emperor that was causing this. He was chipping away their resistance without much effort, Kallen appalled by how many people they were losing when compared to the Britannians.

They had lost more than half of their forces today, the emperor managing to surround them in Shinjuku. Neither the JLF nor the other Britannian prince had been much help, both of them wanting to run when the news had spread that the emperor himself was taking the battlefield.

Kallen scoffed to herself before sobering. Because the representatives from the JLF had run, they would get to report to their superiors and the Black Knights would lose their funding. Ever since the emperor had destroyed the Six Houses of Kyoto, the Black Knights had been struggling. She bit her lip, jamming the last cable in place before scurrying down the side of the Guren. The JLF put up with them because they had the newest technology and they were the closest to the emperor; they were the shield to keep the last resistance force in Japan from falling. But they were weakening.

She took one glance at the Guren before walking towards the building that they were using as their headquarters for the night. At the moment, they were reasonably safe, the emperor would be busy pulling his wounded and dead from the battlefield, something they would wait until early morning for. Kallen reached up to fix her headband, using it to keep her hair out of her face. So they had a short respite that they should use for planning, but they would use it for sleep and rest. It was a known fact that they were only waiting for the death blow, and then it would all be left to the JLF.

"Kallen." She looked up at the soft sound of her name being called, brightening when she saw Ohgi standing outside of the building. She walked a bit faster, coming to lean against the side of the building. He gave her a strained smile. "You took a while."

"Took care of the Guren myself, everyone else looked exhausted." She raised one shoulder in a shrug, glad for his worry. Ever since her brother had died, Ohgi had slipped into the role of looking after her. It was sweet, in Ohgi's usually awkward way, but it was enough to make her smile. "Sorry for worrying you."

"Nah," he waved a dismissive hand, "I heard from the others that you were out there."

Kallen nodded, knowing that he had come out her specifically to see if she was alright. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, trying to relax the muscles there. "So, do we have a plan?"

"Retreat."

"What?"

"Kallen, with the JLF abandoning us we have no other choice. Our people are exhausted and the Britannian empire is sitting ready to eliminate us all."

"What about that prince? The one who promised to help us?"

Ohgi looked down at the ground. "The emperor got to him. He's dead, and all of the people that he brought with him. From what I've heard the other royals are pinned down as well, but still promising support."

"Don't listen to them, they don't care about us."

"Then what am I supposed to do, Kallen?" He glared at her for a second before his gaze softened. "We're finished and we all know it. The emperor isn't going to let us go until we're all dead. I'm going to put it to a vote when we've all rested."

"You're going to dissolve the Black Knights." Kallen bristled at that. Naoto had set up this group to resist the Britannian empire when it dissolved into a civil war and seemed ready to take drag the Areas into their war as well. The Black Knights had been his pride and joy, his one shot at making a free Japan a reality. She had thought that she could trust Ohgi with that dream after her brother's death.

Ohgi looked away. "Don't look at me like that, Kallen. I'm not dissolving them completely. I just think that it would be better to join the JLF. They have better strategists and the resources we need."

"We don't need them."

"Yes we do. We are sitting ducks the way we are now. We may have the supplies and Knightmares we need, but what happens when we run out of them? What happens to the people?" She blushed and looked away as Ohgi continued on. "I'm thinking about Japan and the people within the Black Knights, not the name. Naoto wouldn't have wanted us to fight until there was no one left and leave the JLF on their own. We need to help free Japan."

"I'm-"

"Forget it." Ohgi gave her a smile, apparently forgiving her for her outburst. "You're tired and hungry. Go take care of yourself and we'll talk more in the morning."

Kallen nodded and shuffled into the building, trying to ignore the hopeful stares that were thrown her way. She was the top pilot in the Black Knights, the ace of the group. But even she couldn't stop them from falling apart. It hurt to give up her brother's dream that had become so entangled with the group itself, but it was for the best. The Black Knights were nothing without the people that fought for freedom. And, if they joined the JLF, they wouldn't stop being the Black Knights, they wouldn't just disappear. They would live.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay awake. Ohgi was right about them needed rest, there was no dishonor in waiting for an opportune moment to strike instead of blindly defending their territory. What mattered was Japan, and not their feelings about where they protected. And maybe joining the JLF would remind them of that.

Satisfied, Kallen wove her way through the mess of blankets and exhausted people on the floor, careful not to step on anyone as she made a beeline for where the food was being served. Since they had gotten a reprieve from the emperor, it was in their best interests to take it. After all, it was one more thing to celebrate, she had survived one more battle so she could fight on.


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter Four **

_August 11, 2017_

The incom buzzed, Suzaku slowing the Lancelot to reach up to adjust the device, smiling when it began to function again. With so many Knightmares out in such a small area and all of them constantly reporting back the incom systems were on the fritz. If they hadn't completely destroyed the Black Knights yesterday then Suzaku would have been worried about being attacked. He reached up to tap on the side of the incom, the static disappearing. "Yes?"

"Ah, there you are." He smiled at the sound of Cecile's voice, readjusting his grip on the joysticks as he continued to move the Lancelot through the wreckage. He had begged to be allowed to go out and help with the collection of bodies earlier, using it as an excuse to try and find the time machine. Besides, it was helping him learn to pilot the Lancelot better, something he needed to learn how to do if he expected not to be laughed out of the Royal Guard. "You have ten more minutes before you have to head back."

"Really?" His stomach twisted at that, looking at the view of the Shinjuku ghetto, sure that he was close to where he had left the time machine. He couldn't go back and just leave the car here, then he would never get back. Suzaku gritted his teeth, reminding himself that he wouldn't be spending the rest of his life guarding Lelouch. That was at least something.

"Yes. The emperor is returning to the Tokyo Settlement and he wants you to go with him." She hesitated for a while. "Don't worry, Suzaku, you'll be fine."

"I'm not worried." He sent the Lancelot forward faster, glancing over at the remaining time that he had on his energy filler. It would be enough to get back, easily enough to get back even if he pushed the Knightmare. There would be a replacement waiting for him at the A.S.E.E.C anyway. What he had to do was find that time machine. He didn't want anyone else stumbling on it and using it to go into the future or, worse, further back into the past. He gritted his teeth at that thought, glancing off to one side and bringing the Lancelot to a stop when he saw a flash of white from an open door.

Suzaku swallowed and sent the Lancelot towards the warehouse, a smile crossing his face as he found the time machine. He spared some time to look over it, wincing as he saw that some parts of the car had been smashed by falling pieces of the wall. There were a few bullet holes in the side and the gas tank was completely destroyed. Suzaku ducked his head and heaved a long sigh, so it would take more time than he thought to repair. At least he had something to do until the time machine was fixed.

"Miss. Cecile? I think I've found something."

"Found something? A body?"

"Nothing like that." He edged the Lancelot forward, trying to assess the damage done to the time machine. "It looks like a car…with Knightmare armor."

He held his breath for a moment when the line went quiet, not sure if that was enough to grab their attention. Of course, he could always bring the car back himself, but he wanted to catch their interest enough to bring it back without all of the attention of the Britannian army on him. Suzaku let out his breath quickly, reaching for the button that would open the cockpit. "I'm going to have a look."

"Suzaku!"

"I'll be careful, Miss. Cecile." He forced himself to laugh as he stepped onto the tow rope. "It's just a car."

Cecile didn't voice any more objections, Suzaku stepping onto the ground and shivering. He wasn't used to the skin tight pilot suit that he had been given that morning. He glanced down at himself, rolling his eyes at the outfit before walking into the warehouse. Apparently the suit was more likely to save his life if he had to eject than normal clothes, but it was still uncomfortable. Suzaku rolled his shoulders, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around himself.

Suzaku circled the car, picking out some more damage done by falling bits of building before clambering up onto the car. He pulled the driver's door open and slipped inside, glancing around to see if he had left anything that would incriminate him. There was nothing, Suzaku relaxing at that before turning to stare at the Flux Capacitor, tapping it with a finger before clambering out again.

He stood on the car, staring back at the Lancelot. It was odd seeing the two together, the past and the future. And, suddenly, he realized what a let down for Lloyd it must have been to completely destroy the Knightmare Frame. If the Lancelot had been Lloyd's pride and joy, to reduce it to something mundane would have been horrible for him.

Suzaku scratched the back of his neck before slipping off of the car, heading back for the Lancelot. All he had to do was drop a few more hints and they would be running out here. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to watch them bring the car back himself, he had taken too long in finding it. "Miss. Cecile? Why would a car have a Yggdrasil Drive?"

"Yggdrasil? How do you…" She trailed off as she processed the information, Suzaku ready with an excuse if she chose to finish the question. He had been tossed the manual to the Lancelot this morning as he was climbing into the cockpit, he could always lie and say that he had looked through it earlier. "Why would a car have a…Lloyd!"

He winced at the shout, taking the incom out of his ear and shaking his head, trying to get rid of the ringing in his ear. He clipped the device back into place, giving his head another shake before reaching up to grab a hold of the tow line. Suzaku could hear Cecile and Lloyd talking in the background as he rode up to the seat, the argument between the two of them carrying on even as he slid back into place.

"Suzaku, return to the trailer. We'll get you ready for your escort duties and then go out and get this thing."

"Alright." He smiled to himself, turning the Lancelot around and heading back to the trailer. He kept a close tab on all of his screens, trying to fall into a rhythm of checking them all. He couldn't embarrass himself in front of the Royal Guards, not he wanted to survive in this world. And especially not since he already have the favor of the emperor. Suzaku sighed, maneuvering the Lancelot around a ruined structure, trying to make the turn as close as he could. If he didn't concentrate too hard on what he was doing, his performance was better.

Suzaku smiled to himself, sending the Lancelot through another tight turn, weaving his way through the rubble. It was a heady feeling to be able to control the Knightmare Frame this well. He could control the thing that he had feared most of his life, that most of the kids his age feared.

The trailer loomed ahead of him, Suzaku slowing down the Lancelot. He steered the Knightmare into place, releasing a long breath of relief when it was done before looking down at the screen, tipping his head in confusion when Cecile gestured for him to get out of the Knightmare. He hesitated, his finger hovering over the button that would allow him to get out when Cecile spoke into the incom. "You'll just be escorting on foot. Come on, you have to change."

Suzaku's stomach twisted as she held up the uniform of the royal guards, staring at the black uniform before sliding out of the cockpit. He stepped onto the scaffold, walking towards where Cecile was standing as he tried to calm his heartbeat. He wasn't betraying anyone by doing this, he was saving the future that he wanted to be a part of. He was saving Milly, Shirley and Rivalz from a life in a place like this. There was nothing to be ashamed of and it was his own silly fear that was making this harder than it should be.

He swallowed and took the uniform from Cecile, giving her a smile as thanks before walking away to find somewhere to change. He found that he couldn't stop staring at the uniform, taking in the black top and pants that looked like they would fit him snuggly. Suzaku flinched, stepping into the equivalent of the trailer's changing room, coming to a stop as he stared at the boots that were waiting for him. He blinked before glancing out of the room, Cecile catching his gaze and giving him an encouraging motion.

Suzaku growled to himself and shut the door, hanging up the uniform before wrestling out of the pilot suit, hearing the incom clatter to the floor. He cursed, partially trapped in the pilot suit as he scrambled to pick up the device, placing it close to his boots before managing to scramble out of the skin tight suit. He took a moment to pull it right side out before reaching for the shirt, pulling it on and carefully zipping it up; pressing the small flap of fabric back over the zipper, making the outfit look seamless. He didn't bother to look at his reflection in the small mirror, reaching for the black pants and pulling them on, fumbling with the complicated belt. He took a deep breath, feeling the fabric cling to him like his flight suit, Suzaku shaking his head before sitting down on the small bench in the room, pulling on the boots and zipping them up in the back.

He paused there, staring down at the black boots on his feet before looking up at the mirror, paling as he stared at himself. He didn't recognize the boy in the mirror, he looked Britannian, like those old soldiers who wandered the streets denouncing Empress Nunnally. Suzaku shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself before slowly standing up, taking a step towards the mirror. Looking like one of those people wasn't the problem, it was only when he became one of them that he would be in trouble. Britannia, this Britannia, was his enemy. Suzaku lifted his head, carefully schooling his features into a blank mask before adjusting the uniform, tugging slightly at the sleeves and collar. His fingers lingered over the gold fabric that edged the collar and sleeves, brushing over it before he let his hand drop, kneeling down to retrieve his incom.

He froze as he heard the door open, turning his head to snap at the person who had walked in without knocking only to stop and stare at the person standing in he doorway. Suzaku tensed under the emperor's gaze, bringing his outstretched arm back to himself, reaching up to put the incom back into place. Suzaku swallowed before carefully turning his position into a bow, not looking up at the emperor.

The expected comment didn't come, Suzaku looking up at Lelouch to find that the emperor was openly staring at him. Suzaku blushed and looked down at the floor, clearing his throat. "Your Majesty."

He heard Lelouch shift, daring to glance up to see the emperor pulling himself back together. "Ah, so it fits."

The smirk that Lelouch gave him made Suzaku shiver, wanting to run. He was willing to bet that the other Royal Guards weren't going to be forced to wear uniforms that were this tight. He looked up completely when Lelouch turned to leave, following him out into the main part of the trailer. Suzaku tried to keep the pain from his face as the boots pinched his feet, sure that he would get used to them eventually, but he would have blisters after this.

He stood back as Lelouch walked over to where Lloyd was, the two of them having a discussion. Or, it was just Lloyd talking and gesturing grandly at the screen of the computer and the Lancelot while Lelouch looked on with his usual blank expression. Suzaku blinked when the emperor shot him a sidelong glance before smiling. He didn't quite know how to take that look, remaining where he was until Lelouch stepped down from the platform.

Another hand wave from the emperor brought him to Lelouch's side, Suzaku belatedly remembering to fall back a few steps. They weren't equals, he couldn't just walk beside the emperor, that would be assuming too much. He sighed and squared his shoulders, walking out of the trailer and into the open space of the ghetto.

He raised an eyebrow at the sight of another man dressed exactly like he was, not missing the look of surprise and fury on the other man's face. Of course the Royal Guard would be insulted, he had just appeared yesterday and stolen all of the emperor's attention. Suzaku looked away, scanning the area for danger as a distraction. If he ever had to stay with these men, he wouldn't survive too long, they would do everything to make his life miserable. Suzaku swallowed hard at that, feeling his hands shake at that thought.

"Kururugi." He snapped back to the present, turning to look at Lelouch as the emperor walked forward. He followed, watching as the other man fell into step beside him. They made their way back to the mobile command center, Suzaku glancing up at the towering vehicle. He felt his mouth drop open at the sheer size of the vehicle, snapping it shut a moment later as they veered away from the command center to the car parked beside it.

Suzaku barely noticed the man who opened the door for them, standing by Lelouch as the other Royal Guard checked the car before sliding inside. Lelouch followed with Suzaku stepping in after, keeping himself as far away as he could from the emperor.

He looked around the interior of the car, suddenly feeling claustrophobic with the two Britannians in the small space with him. He was willing to stand the smirks from Lelouch and the angry glares from the other Royal Guard, but not the two of them together. Suzaku shivered before forcing himself to remain still. Some part of him wished that he had enlisted in the military instead of allowing Cecile to talk him out of it, at least all of this would be second nature to him instead of remaining on edge for so long. The other man gave him a disgusted look before focusing his attention on Lelouch, Suzaku glad to be out of both of their attention, transferring his own to the scenery as they drove deeper into the Tokyo Settlement.

It was strange how much had remained the same, Suzaku able to recognize a few buildings that were still standing in his time as they were now. The rest had just been updated, the signs changed as the buildings changed hands. And the differences weren't enough to throw him into shock either, buildings that weren't around in his time, probably because they were victims from the War of Ascension or time itself. He had thought that going back to the past would have been a shocking experience, that everything would be different. But everything was so similar, everything from the buildings to how Cecile and Lloyd acted. Suzaku felt his stomach roll, shocked by this strange version of homesickness before he shook his head, looking back at the two Britannians in the car.

He wasn't home, not yet. He had to wait out a year and for the repairs to the time machine before he could get there. Nothing here would replace his home, nothing could even come close.

* * *

Lelouch looked out of the window as they approached the administration building, the place that he had taken over as his home while he was subduing Japan. It was the ideal place to be, a visible show of his power and central in the Tokyo settlement. Plus, it had the space needed to store the Knightmares and other vehicles that he had and the room to send them out. That and the gardens, Nunnally liked gardens.

He smiled to himself, glancing down so the two other men in the car wouldn't see the expression. Nunnally would come out to see him, but it wouldn't be too much of a problem to get the servants to serve lunch out in the garden, for Nunnally's sake. Besides, his sister would like the chance to go outside, she tending to remain inside the building when he was out fighting, clutching her radio like a lifeline.

Lelouch closed his eyes for a moment. Euphemia was right, he needed to spend more time with Nunnally, he was doing all of this for her after all. He had demanded that their father acknowledge her disability only to be sent to Japan and then get stuck in the war that their father started. For his sister's sake, he had begged to be allowed to come back home, he had lied and pretended that he was sorry. He had acted like a doting son to the man he hated the most in the world, and then he had killed him. All so that Nunnally wouldn't be used as a political hostage, so that she wouldn't be thrown away. So that she could be happy.

He opened his eyes as the car slowed, staring at the gates that they passed through to enter the administrative building, sitting up carefully. He had to remember that he was working to create a world where Nunnally would be safe, a world where the weakening Britannian empire didn't loom over other countries like a threat. Lelouch closed one hand into a fist. He had a limited amount of time before Schneizel saw through the bluff that he was counting on, the fear that the Areas already had for Britannia. If they fell away then they would see the empire for what it really was, a country with a delicate hold of all of the Areas.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, smiling as he saw people walking out of the administrative building, his gaze lingering on the girl in a wheelchair. He had one more Area to go before he could focus on repairing that part of the empire, and then he could shatter Britannia and rebuild it anew.

Lelouch straightened up, watching his two guards carefully. Normally he wouldn't travel with any, preferring to be alone with his thoughts, but he had promised Euphemia that he would. And some perverse part of him had been allowed to convince the rest of him that seeing Kururugi in the tight uniform of the Royal Guards was a good idea. And Lelouch had to admit to himself that it had been a good idea, if a distracting one.

The car came to a stop, Lelouch sitting back and allowing Kururugi to slide out first, forcing himself to look at the back of the Eleven's head. But it was all too easy to let his gaze slide lower. Lelouch shook his head, stepping out of the car and smiling at his sisters, walking over to them.

Euphemia was leaning over to whisper something in Nunnally's the younger girl laughing at whatever joke they were sharing, probably at his expense. Lelouch rolled his eyes and glanced up at the man that was hovering close behind them, meeting Jeremiah Gottwald's gaze for a moment. Jeremiah gave him a slow nod, enough of a reassurance that everything had been alright here. Lelouch let out a minute sigh, relaxing a bit at that. With the Knights of the Round gone, Jeremiah was the only one that he trusted enough to guard his sisters while he was in battle and there was no question that he would never take Euphemia or Nunnally to any of his battles. They wouldn't understand the reputation that he had to keep.

He tensed as Euphemia looked back up at him, giving him a shy wave that stopped part way through the motion as she stared at something just behind his right shoulder. Lelouch turned his head to the side, just enough to see who was walking there, catching a glimpse of the Eleven's brown curls. His stomach rolled at that, Lelouch forcing his gaze to the front. Euphemia already had the attention of one of the Knights of the Round, she didn't need to have another man. Suzaku was his Royal Guard.

Lelouch had a moment to realize what he had thought, not even getting the chance to go over it before Nunnally was rolling forward. "Big brother!"

"Nunnally." He bent over, reminding himself that he couldn't kneel. Out of the sight of the public he would kneel by her wheelchair, his white robes be damned. He hated talking to his sister like this, from so much above her. But it was fitting of his station as the emperor. "It's good to see you."

"And you." Her smile wavered for a moment. "You didn't call last night."

"Ah…" He glanced over at Euphemia. "Euphy called later. I was speaking with the Knights of the Round before that."

"Oh." Nunnally's hand dropped out from between his, his sister folding her hands in her lap.

Lelouch bit his lip before walking past them into the building. He had to explain to Nunnally, he didn't want her mad with him. And the only place they were guaranteed that was the garden on the roof of the administrative building. For that, he wanted as few guards as possible. Jeremiah was acceptable, as he had been part of his mother's personal guard before she had been assassinated, the man still trying to prove his loyalty for the mistakes that led up to Marianne's death. Now that he was safe in the building, he could dismiss the two Royal Guards at his back.

He glanced over at Euphemia, noticing her eyes lingering on Suzaku again, Lelouch gritting his teeth before making his decision. For Euphemia's sake, the sake of one of his Knights of the Round and Lloyd's precious pilot, he would keep Kururugi with him. Lelouch glanced over at the other man, staring at him before waving him away, ignoring the disgruntled look on his face.

Euphemia scowled at the move, Lelouch ignoring her. He had listened to her and asked for two guards, it was his right to decide how he would use them. Lelouch walked up closer to Nunnally, smiling down at her before looking out one of the windows. "The weather looks nice enough to eat outside."

His sister beamed up at him. "I know. Lunch is already set up in the gardens. You like to eat up there when you get back."

Lelouch continued smiling, not bothering to correct Nunnally. He ate in the gardens for her, like everything else he did was for her.

He turned away, glancing at the Eleven to make sure that he was still following, amused by the fact that Kururugi was not staring at anything around him. Most of the Royal Guards that he brought in here were busy looking around at everything that was in the building, awed and the grandeur. But, then again, Kururugi wouldn't be proud of this place, it was a symbol of his country's loss. The Eleven was probably wishing that he had been the one sent off.

Lelouch turned his gaze away, following his sisters into the elevator that would take them to the roof, moving aside slightly for his one remaining guard. He tensed as Kururugi brushed against him, catching the mumbled apology as the guard moved to stand at the back of the elevator. Lelouch took a deep breath, staring at the doors of the elevator on the way up, trying not to be aware of Kururugi's presence at his back. Suddenly, keeping the guard close seemed like a very bad idea. He couldn't think clearly with Kururugi around, his mind kept jumping back to the guard. He sighed, reaching up to rub his forehead. Clearly, he had been too tired when he had come to this decision and he was perfectly justified in blaming the tight uniform of the Royal Guards as well.

"Lelouch?" He looked down as Nunnally gently tugged on his sleeve. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm just tired."

"I told you that you needed to take a break." Euphemia smiled at him as the elevator came to a stop, wheeling Nunnally out.

Lelouch followed, Jeremiah and Suzaku falling into step behind him. They followed the two girls out of the small gazebo that the elevator was housed in and out into the gardens, Lelouch glancing at the blanket and basket that was laid out on the ground. He smiled to himself, walking a bit faster to catch up with his sisters.

He made sure that he was the one to lift Nunnally from her wheelchair and set her down onto the blanket, settling down next to her. Euphemia joined them soon after, kicking off her shoes and stretching out over the other half of the blanket. Lelouch glanced at the two others, glad that Suzaku and Jeremiah had taken up positions to guard them, only turning back to look at his sisters then.

Euphemia tipped her head back to look at him, reaching backwards to grope for the picnic basket, frowning when he purposefully moved it out of her way. "Lelouch…"

He smirked, pulling out the plates and making sure that Nunnally was served first before offering food to Euphemia, not surprised when she snatched it away. "This is why I said you needed to-"

"I am aware of what you implied." He shot a meaningful look at Nunnally, Euphemia quieting at that. There was the unspoken rule that they never discussed the bloody massacres or any of their private exploits around Nunnally. Of course, Lelouch couldn't keep Nunnally from her radio, but hearing a number of the dead and seeing it or having it described to her was another thing. Lelouch wanted to keep her away from that horrible consequence of being royalty a bit longer. In his opinion, she was far too young to be involved in the give and take of court, and the hard and fast rule that everything, aside from your own mind, was a resource to be traded.

He turned his gaze to Suzaku, letting the sight of the guard steady him before the turned back to look at Nunnally. His sister was happily eating an apple, one of her hands resting on her ankle to keep herself steady. Lelouch stared at her hand for a moment before turning his gaze away. Just above where her hand rested the pattern of scars would begin, all marks from where the bullets that had kill their mother had hit Nunnally. They were the reason that she couldn't walk, too many bones shattered and too many muscles torn. Lelouch had tried everything to help Nunnally walk again, but nothing had worked. If he got the world set right, he supposed that the science could be found soon enough.

"Lelouch." He froze when Nunnally set a hand over his, squeezing his hand gently before scooting closer. "I was worried about you. The reports said that the terrorists-"

"We had it under control, Nunnally. The reporters like to blow things out of proportion. It's been taken care of." Euphemia glared at him for that, Lelouch shaking his head. They would get their chance to talk after dinner, when Nunnally was asleep. "I'm sorry I didn't call last night, I had to check in with the Knights of the Round, the call went on longer then I thought it would."

"Have they found Cornelia?"

"No."

Nunnally's smile wavered for a moment before she sighed, looking out at the gardens. "When they do, will they bring her back here? She must miss Euphy. I know you would miss me if the same thing happened." Lelouch stared at his sister, Nunnally giggling when she looked back at him. "I'm sure all you have to do is explain to her what you're doing as she'll understand."

He nodded, unable to look at his sister anymore. Lelouch stared at the carefully arranged garden, so much like the one at their former home, the Aries Villa. His hand clenched into a fist at the thought of the building, the one that he had torn down when he became emperor. He didn't want any reminders of the place, but Nunnally had loved the gardens too much, as had Clovis. This had been Clovis' home until Lelouch had turned his attention to Area 11, then his half-brother had run to the JLF.

Nunnally's hand squeezed his again. "She'll understand, Lelouch."

Lelouch looked away. He wasn't sure that Cornelia would be willing to listen, considering all that he had done. And he was certain that she wouldn't understand what he was doing. He sighed and flipped his hand over so he was holding Nunnally's hand. "You're right, Nunnally. She'll understand."

Placated, Nunnally turned back to her food, Lelouch staring at his. Suddenly, he had lost his appetite.

* * *

Euphemia stormed into her room, holding the door open long enough for Lelouch to follow her inside before pressing her thumb against the control panel, ignoring the shocked look on the guard's face as the door slammed shut in front of him. She leaned against the door for a moment before turning back to Lelouch, staring at his outfit before walking over and pulling off his hat, throwing it across the room in a short burst of anger. "You lied!"

Lelouch just stared at her before he shrugged, walking over to one of her couches and stretching out on it. "I have to."

"You lied to Nunnally."

His eyes narrowed as he stared at her before he gave a reluctant nod. "Yes."

"How can you?"

"Euphy, how can I not?" He sat up, glaring at her before gesturing towards the door. "Do you want her to know what's going on out there? Do you want her to know about the people who die daily for what they believe is right? Do you want to her know about the people who curse me and call me a demon?"

Lelouch seemed to get a hold of himself, slumping before wrapping his arms around himself. "Do you want to tell her about what we've done to keep her safe?"

"What we've done?"

"What I've done." Lelouch looked up at her, his arms falling back to his sides.

Euphemia shook her head, walking over to where her brother's hat lay and picking it up. She turned it over in her hands before brushing it off. She crossed the room, holding the hat out like a peace offering. For a moment, she was afraid that Lelouch wouldn't take it, breathing a sigh of relief when he reached out, placing the hat in his lap.

She hesitated before going to sit on the edge of her bed, adjusting her skirts out of habit, all the while watching her brother. Lelouch was tense, he had been since Nunnally had turned the conversation to the events from yesterday. And he was tired, she could tell by the slump of his shoulders, just the tiniest tilt to them. After three years of being the closest thing to a confidante that he had, something forcing him to accept her in this role, she had gotten used to reading him.

Euphemia hummed to herself before leaning back on her hands. "You killed someone yesterday."

"Yes."

She flinched at the flat tone of his voice, nodding to herself. Euphemia reached over her shoulder to start braiding her hair. She had waited too long to have this talk with him, but Lelouch had made himself unavailable until after dinner, sticking close to Nunnally. And he always kept that guard with him, the new guard that she didn't recognize, even to the point of choosing him over Jeremiah. Euphemia tipped her head to the side at that thought, forcing herself back to the matter at hand. "Who?"

"Clovis." He looked up at her before looking down at his hat. "You're not going to get me to apologize."

"No, that time passed a long time ago." Euphemia bit her lip, glancing towards the curtains that covered her windows, letting out a long sigh as she let her hair slide through her fingers. "Lelouch, I just want to help. At least let me do that."

"I have it all planned out. There's nothing you can do."

"I'm sure there is."

"No, everything is-"

"They hate you Lelouch!" She was unprepared for the smile that appeared on his face for a moment before he looked up. Euphemia swallowed nervously and scooted further back on her bed. "Just go back to Pendragon."

"I don't have the time."

"Just for a week or-"

"Euphemia!" Lelouch stood up, Euphemia immediately scrambling back onto her bed. She reached for a weapon, stopping herself when she remembered who this was. This was her half brother, this was Lelouch. He had saved her from the panic at the palace after their father had died. He had kept her safe when their half brothers and sisters tried to use them as political tools. He was still protecting them, leaving them behind while he went off to war.

She shook her head, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them close. "What happened to you?"

That got Lelouch's attention, her brother wavering for a moment before he collapsed back onto the sofa, the two staring at each other. Lelouch was the first to look away, closing his eyes for a long moment. "My mother was killed."

"I know that. But there's something else. Why are you doing this?" She let go of her knees and tentatively crawled forward. "You're smarter than this, Lelouch. You could make the world love you and get everything you wanted done. Why do you have to do it this way?"

"It's the only way it can last." Lelouch sighed and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. "If you give them an example of something to fear, they'll try to avoid repeating the experience after it's been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Euphemia stared at him before rushing over, grabbing Lelouch by the shoulders and shaking him. He looked down from the ceiling, his eyes frighteningly blank. She gave him another hard shake, trying to get him mad at her again. "Lelouch, you're not doing this, do you hear me? You're not letting yourself get killed. What about Nunnally?"

He didn't respond, still staring off into the distance. Euphemia collapsed against him with a sob, holding him in a close hug. She pressed her face into the silk of his clothes, shifting so she could hear his heart beating, wanting to make sure that Lelouch was still alive. Euphemia sighed with relief when she heard the steady sound, giving Lelouch a tight hug before pulling away, wiping the tears from her face. "I promised that I would help you, Lelouch, but not with this."

Lelouch blinked at that, coming back to himself and looking down at her. He sighed and reclined back against the sofa again. "There's no way around it."

"Find one. You're smart, Lelouch, I know you can do it."

He stared at her for a moment before raising one shoulder in a shrug, Euphemia smiling at that. He would think about it and that was enough for now.

She got up off of her knees, glancing at the door, relieved that Lelouch's guard hadn't come in. She went back to her place on the bed, her fingers shaking as she went to start redoing her braid. "So, I see you took my advice to heart."

"Yes. I might as well make sure I get some use out of the Royal Guard."

Euphemia paused in her braiding before blushing. "My other advice."

Lelouch stared at her before giving a short laugh. "He's an Eleven."

"So? Aren't you the one always telling us that they're people not Numbers?" That got a flinch out of Lelouch, Euphemia smiling as she continued. "You're trying to talk yourself out of it."

"Yes, because I'd rather not show favor towards the El-Japanese at the moment. If I show favoritism towards them now, some of the more volatile Areas will take it upon themselves to rebel again." He reached up to rub his forehead, glancing at her before waving his hand in a dismissive motion. "Besides, it's not that important. The pressing matter here is the fact that we have the two most dangerous siblings of ours still out there."

"You'll make a mistake because of stress, Lelouch."

"I don't make mistakes."

She laughed, shaking her head and having to redo part of her braid because of the motion. "It's a natural need."

Lelouch glared at her before standing up. "I don't need this talk from you."

"I'm sure that there's some girl-" She cut herself off as he tensed again, Euphemia's eyes widening as she realized who Lelouch had immediately mentioned before. "Or some guy that might not mind."

"I'd rather not." Lelouch walked over to the door, resting his hand on the handle. "And tell Sir Raleigh that he has corrupted you."

"Alright, Lelouch."

Her brother let himself out of the room, giving her a smile. She caught a glimpse of the new guard before the door was shut again, using that moment to pick out the color of his eyes before leaning back on her bed.

She had been stealing glances at the young man all afternoon, using the moments to figure out what he looked like while under Lelouch's gaze. He might accept that she had needs, even if she was a princess, but he certainly didn't want to be reminded of it. And that new guard was a welcome sight, especially with Raleigh slowly moving away from her company.

Euphemia hunched her shoulders at that thought, trying to shake herself out of the melancholy that always followed when she thought of the Knight of Five. Sir Raleigh had made it very clear that the relationship between them wasn't going to last, and Euphemia had agreed on that account. But she would be turning seventeen in October, she found that she was looking for something a little more permanent now the Lelouch was nearing the end of whatever he had planned. Hopefully she would find someone to marry before Cornelia could find a way to her, then she wouldn't have to face her sister's wrath.

She leaned her chin into her hand. Perhaps she should start with finding a knight, just to take some of the workload off of Jeremiah. Then the Knights of the Round could focus their attention on protecting Lelouch. Maybe then that would take some of the stress off of Lelouch, he could worry about whatever plans he had. Then she would see if she could talk Lelouch out of his suicidal plans. Or maybe she had just been overreacting.

Nunnally was his one reason to live, so Lelouch wouldn't do anything that would make her sad. If she could just remind him of that, he would adjust his plans, if he hadn't planned to do so already. She had pushed him to react like that.

Euphemia sighed, pushing off her bed and walking over to her wardrobe. She would speak to Lelouch about looking for a knight tomorrow and then speak to him about her marriage options. She giggled to herself as she pulled out her nightgown. Knowing her brother, he would be appalled. Then would come the speech about how he was saving her and Nunnally being used as political pawns, how he was saving them from the horrible fate that her sister had suffered. Still, it was just as much fun to imagine the look on his face when she finally explained. She was asking for the right to look, not to be married off to the highest bidder.

She slipped into her nightgown, straightening it out before flopping down onto her bed. Until then, she would focus on helping Lelouch. He had been doing this on his own for too long, it was time that he let someone help. The first thing to do would be to talk to the Royal Guards, especially the one that Lelouch seemed to be favoring. But that could wait until morning. Barring any attempts by the Black Knights and JLF, they should have Lelouch to themselves all day, plenty of time to talk to that new guard.

* * *

Suzaku trailed after Lelouch through the hall of the administrative building. He kept his gaze on the floor the entire time, not wanting to look up at the lavish decorations. He didn't want to see any of it, didn't want the reminder of what this place was. Suzaku swallowed harshly, glancing up at Lelouch's back. His eyes lingered on the design on the back, tensing when he realized that the configuration of jewels formed an eye. He looked back down at the carpet, preferring to focus on the complex designs there.

He glanced up as he heard Lelouch slow in front of him, coming up short as a door was opened up in front of his face. He blinked before ducking around the door, peeking into the room that Lelouch had disappeared into. "Your Highness?"

Lelouch didn't seem to hear him, strolling over to the bed and beginning to strip out of his clothes. Suzaku barely muffled and yelp and turned away, one hand still clutching at the open door. He tensed as the sound of rustling fabric stopped, shutting his eyes.

"Kururugi?"

"Y-yes, your highness?"

"You can shut the door. And don't steal anything." Suzaku opened his eyes at that, turning around to shoot a glare at Lelouch, only to be met by the emperor's smirk. "Ah, I see. Well then," Lelouch gave a lazy wave of his hand, "you can stand guard. I'm sure someone will come and relieve you during the night."

Suzaku gritted his teeth but managed another bow before shutting the door carefully behind him. It took a lot more effort than he thought it would to keep himself from letting it slam shut. He turned to glare at the door, taking a step to the side. He fought the urge to stick his tongue out at the closed door, knowing that it wouldn't help. He would just have to stand out here until he was relieved from duty, something that Suzaku was sure wouldn't happen. He was just an Eleven who the emperor had taken a passing fancy to.

He crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly realizing that he had no weapon to defend the emperor with. Suzaku glanced back at the doors before sighing, falling into the position that he had seen all the guards in the movies take. Suzaku let his chin fall forward onto his chest with a long sigh, his eyes falling shut.

He could already see the start of a vicious cycle starting, the favor of the emperor keeping him close while the hatred of the others in the Royal Guard would keep him from getting any sleep. Suzaku counted it as a miracle that he had gotten dinner, but that had been Jeremiah's doing, bringing him something to eat while he had watched the emperor and his sisters out in the garden. And he wasn't even sure if that had been basic human kindness or just Jeremiah feeling sorry for the new guard. Suzaku couldn't think of any reason that his position would threaten Jeremiah, the man already seemed very comfortable in his place.

Suzaku opened his eyes and straightened up as he thought he heard footsteps, relaxing a moment later when no one passed by. He blinked and glanced both ways down the hall before allowing him to slump again.

By now Cecile and Lloyd would have the time machine, that was the one relief that he had. Knowing Lloyd, the scientist would spend the night doing absolutely nothing to the car, just looking over it and figuring out what he could do; from there it was up to Cecile to bring that list down to a manageable level. Suzaku was counting on Lloyd to be somewhat perceptive of what the car could do, or at least recognize his own work. Either way, he was sure that they would be contacting him when the rest of the forces finished up at the ghetto.

He tipped his head up, watching as a servant scurried down the hall, the man giving him a shocked look before walking faster. Suzaku narrowed his eyes before shaking his head. Now he had to wait, something that he wasn't looking forward to. He would be stuck waiting in a place where all of the people treated him like some piece of dirt and the emperor fluctuating between indifference and something else.

What he wouldn't give to be back a home or at school. Even struggling with the budgets for the clubs would be better than this, a mere minor form of torment. Suddenly, he had a better appreciation of what his father had to go through if he had been in the Britannian army, a heavy blow to someone his mother had always described as a proud man. In her more lucid moments, his mother would always comment on how he had wanted to be prime minster of Japan before everything fell apart. But that seemed to be the fate of his family, striving to achieve something only to fall apart at the end, his father with his political dreams and his mother trying to live on after the death of her husband. It was enough to make Suzaku wonder if he should even bother trying sometimes, but he couldn't bear the thought of making Miss. Cecile disappointed; not even in the past when she didn't know him.

Suzaku sighed, the sound loud in the deserted corridor. He was thinking too much, the tell-tale headache already starting to show. It was easier just to rely on instinct rather than to plan every little detail, he had never been good at that. It was so much easier just to smile and offer his help to others who needed it, to apply his skills where he knew that they would be needed instead of trying to figure out where he belonged. His mind always immediately jumped back towards his days in the ghettos of Tokyo when he thought about that. Places like Ashford Academy were meant for people were smart, people who had earned their place there, not people who knew the right people and struggled with their grades the entire time.

He tensed as he heard someone walking towards him, Suzaku turning towards the sound and reaching for his gun, only to realize that he didn't haven one. He muttered a curse before clenching his hand into a fist, glancing around. There were plenty of things around here that he could use as a weapon, but they would probably break. He settled for marking the pieces of furniture that he could use to his advantage, narrowing his eyes as the person walked into the corridor.

Jeremiah seemed surprised to see him there, glancing him over before laughing and walking over. "Already so eager for a fight?"

"Not really." Suzaku relaxed a fraction, watching as Jeremiah walked closer.

The man laughed, coming to stand on the other side of the door. "Smart and loyal. Strange for an Eleven." Suzaku twitched at the name, earning another laugh. "Ah, so you are sensitive about that. And yet you managed to keep yourself from reacting when the emperor called you that."

"He has the right to."

"Does he?"

Suzaku shot Jeremiah another long look before tipping his head to the side. "I have no say in the matter."

"You could…"

He looked up sharply, staring at Jeremiah for a moment. "I'm not a part of the JLF or any other rebellion out there. I just caught up in this."

"Providing an example to your people?"

"Yes." Suzaku hoped that Jeremiah wouldn't think too long on his hesitation before he had answered. Was that was he was doing? By being in the emperor's presence and among Britannians, would it encourage a stop to the rebellions? It was another change in the history that he hadn't anticipated, Suzaku wincing and looking away. "Hopefully they'll take the hint."

"I don't think they will." He heard Jeremiah shift, glancing at the man out of the corner of his eye. "You don't have to stand out here all night."

"The emperor has given me my orders."

Jeremiah smiled at him, Suzaku not sure how to take the expression. The man pushed away from the wall, glancing at one of the clocks in the hall before nodding. "I'll be by to relieve you later. If you follow this hall to the end and then turn left, you'll find a room where you can sleep two doors down. I believe that will be close enough for you."

Suzaku nodded, not sure what the appropriate response would be. Jeremiah walked away from him, Suzaku following the man with his gaze for a moment before going back to staring at the wall across from him. That had been unexpected but not unwelcome. Maybe there was a chance of him surviving this.

* * *

"This is amazing!" Cecile hurriedly took a step back as a handful of screws came flying out of the car. She reached forward to steady the tea pot, staring at the tray before quickly setting it to one side. She hesitated before inching over, ready to jump to the side at the next barrage. Lloyd was lost completely in his own world as he tinkered with the car. She would only be needed when it came time to move some of the heavier stuff.

She took another step closer to the car, bracing herself against the open door and peering inside, watching as Lloyd contorted himself further under the steering wheel. "What is it?"

"It's a car." He looked up at her with a huge smile before ducking back under the wheel. "It's amazing."

Cecile rolled her eyes as he started to hum to himself, sliding into the seat and looking around. "Suzaku said something about a Yggdrasil Drive."

A hand appeared and waved towards the back of the car, Cecile raising an eyebrow before stepping out of the car. She kept one hand on the car, trying to reassure herself that this thing was real as she walked toward the trunk. Cecile frowned and stared at the smooth surface under her hand, it felt completely different from paint. She turned to stare at it, tracing over the yellow edge near the doors before looking towards the Knightmare that was looming over them.

Her mouth dropped open, Cecile taking a step away from her car and staring at her hand. "Lloyd!" He popped out of the car, a screwdriver dangling from his fingers. She pointed towards the Knightmare Frame. "It's the Lancelot! It's the same armor as the Lancelot!"

"And?" Lloyd ducked back into the car. "It's interesting because the armor is exactly the same as the Lancelot and…" His voice trailed off as he went back to work, muffled by the car.

Cecile rolled her eyes and went to the truck, opening it and staring at the unit in the back. She trailed over fingers over it, finding the catch and slowly opening it, staring at the familiar configuration of the Yggdrasil Drive. She leaned over, carefully looking it over, getting glimpses of parts that had been clumsily put back together. It wouldn't work just like the one in the Knightmare, it was too small and there were too many parts missing. So it wouldn't power the car itself, it was meant to power something smaller.

"Lloyd?" The humming stopped abruptly, Cecile waiting for Lloyd to peek out only to be disappointed. She huffed in annoyance and stepped around the car, peering inside. Lloyd was now splayed over the seats, staring at the screens, reaching up to play with them, watching the information display.

"Now that's interesting."

"What?"

He pointed at the screen that displayed a series of numbers, Lloyd slipping out of the car. Cecile leaned in, her eyes widening as she stared at the date on the top of the screen. August 10, 2017. Yesterday's date. She shook her head and went to step out of the car, only to be stopped as Lloyd bustled around. "That's not it. Below."

Cecile ducked back inside to stare at the date below it, her mouth dropping open. October 29, 2036. She stumbled out of the car, nearly falling onto the ground. "That's not possible."

"And yet, it is." Lloyd smirked at her before skipping around the car, running his hands over the armor. "Something that is the Lancelot but isn't."

"But it can't be."

"Obviously it is." He jumped up to sit on the hood, happily swinging his legs. "Beautifully done, though, meshing the car systems with the systems from the Knightmare. Whoever did this is a genius." He flinched his smile disappearing for a moment. "I hope it wasn't Rakshata. She would do this because we've finished a float system before her."

Lloyd shrugged before hopping down from the car, continuing to circle it. "It looks like we'll need a devicer."

He gave her a wide smile before disappearing into the car again, Cecile sighing and going back to where she had set the tray down. With Lloyd going on like he was it was going to be a long night, there was no use in trying to get him to sleep when he was like this. She poured herself a cup of tea, holding the cup in her hands just to have something to do as she tried to wrap her mind around what Lloyd had said.

If she could believe him, and Lloyd wasn't letting his enthusiasm get the better of him, then this thing was beyond what she could conceive. Cecile believed in the facts, what she could see and touch. Still, that didn't mean that she would just believe that this car could do what Lloyd was hypothesizing it could do. Then again, Lloyd had always been better at the more speculative sides of science, she just worked with the subjects that she could completely grasp, things that she could handle physically.

Cecile took a sip of tea, swallowing slowly before looking back at Lloyd. "A devicer?"

"Who else to test this?" Lloyd laughed to himself, the sound echoing a bit in the car. "We fix it, they test it. Well, Suzaku tests it."

"Suzaku?"

"He found it. And he pilots the Lancelot."

"Lloyd, this is a car."

"This is the Lancelot." Lloyd peeked out of the car, reaching for something that he had stowed in it. It took her a moment to identify what it was, Cecile almost dropping her cup of tea.

"Lloyd, that's Suzaku's school bag!"

"He left it in the front."

"That doesn't give you permission to take it."

Lloyd shrugged and opened the bag, rifling through the books and papers in there before pulling something out. Cecile got a glimpse of metal before Lloyd tossed the object at her. She didn't let go of her cup, taking a step back and letting the object fall to the ground, watching it skitter across the floor before coming to a stop. It was the access key to the Lancelot, Cecile feeling her throat clog up at the sight of it.

It couldn't be the key, she could see the key sitting on the next computer console over. This thing had to be a fake. That explained why there were two of them, but not why the fake one had been in Suzaku's bag. But there was only one reason that Cecile could think of.

"He's with the Black Knights or the JLF, he must have copied the Lancelot's key." Cecile bit her lip, trying to work the logic in her mind. "But it would take more than a night to copy the key, there's software in it too, so it might be a fake to throw us off."

"Wrong on both counts." Lloyd ambled over to where the key was lying, picking it up off the ground and turning it over in his hands. "It's real."

"It can't be!" She lunged for the key only to have Lloyd dodge out of the way, the scientist bouncing on the balls of his feet as he kept away from her wild grabs.

"It can!"

"Prove it."

"Not without something catastrophic happening." Lloyd gave her a huge smile before skipping back over to the car. "Wouldn't want to cause a paradox…although that would be fun."

She stared at him before shaking her head. "No."

"You know the theories."

"It's impossible, Lloyd! It's a trick by the JLF."

"Then why would our capable devicer give it to us?"

Cecile stared at him before her mouth dropped open. "We just let him walk away with the emperor."

"He's not dangerous." Lloyd waved her worries away before dropping the activation key back into the bag, ducking into the car again. "He wouldn't have given us this if he was."

Cecile didn't know how Lloyd had come to that conclusion, setting down her tea cup before she dropped it, taking a deep breath and focusing back on her colleague, resisting the urge to hold him down. It was hard to formulate an argument while Lloyd was jumping around and humming to himself, interrupting himself at times to exclaim over something. She groaned and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "We should still talk to Suzaku."

"Of course! How else are we going to learn how this magnificent thing works?"

"That's not the point, Lloyd." He stared at her for a second before shrugging and going back to work. Cecile sighed, realizing that she had lost all hope of holding out a conversation with him, not when there was something new for him to play with.

And, if she was going to be perfectly honest with herself, she was interested in the car to; although it was more for the physical aspect of the machine rather than what Lloyd speculated it could do. How a Yggdrasil Drive could even function in conjunction with a regular engine was something that she was very much looking forward to looking into. But that would have to wait until Lloyd was done with his initial excitement and actually settled down to do something. Now he was just fluttering around the car, probably coming up with a list of things that he had to do and wanted to do. Her own time to look over the piece of machinery would wait until morning, if she was awake enough to function; Lloyd was probably going to keep her up all night just so that she would be ready to help him.

Cecile gave another long sigh and glanced back at the tray, watching the steam rise from her cup of tea. She had a feeling she would be needing something stronger.


	5. Chapter 5

** Chapter Five **

_August 13, 2017_

The Gloucester rocked with the force of the hit, Cornelia flinching as she was thrown to one side, her side throbbing from where it had knocked against the seat. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to sit up straight, quickly pulling her Knightmare out of harm's way. Cornelia glanced at the two Knightmares that were heading straight for her, grimacing before retreating. Usually she wouldn't retreat, there was nothing to be gained by retreating. But, facing the Knights of the Round, it was better to wait for a time when she could turn the battle in her favor.

Cornelia's hands tightened on the joysticks. She had plenty of strategies that she could use, but she had run out of people to implement them with. The Glaston Knights had been crushed by Lelouch and his forces before Clovis and the Black Knights had provided the distraction that she needed in Japan. The once proud resistance of Area 18 had been demolished when they had made an attack on the Britannian camp, no one had known that the Knights of the Round had remained. That had been their fatal error, they had thought Lelouch had stuck to the pattern.

She jerked the Knightmare Frame to one side, almost toppling it over as she squeezed it into a ravine. From here, she would be able to guard her back and sides while able to cover her front and the top, if only one Knightmare tried to fire from above. Cornelia cursed under her breath and continued to back the Gloucester away. They had used this ravine for an escape route before, none of the larger Knightmare Frames or equipment could be sent down here. She bit her lip as she considered the next part in their plan.

It was safe to assume that the Knights of the Round were finishing off the rest of the resistance movement and that it would not take much time. The crudely customized Knightmares of Area 18 wouldn't stand up for long against the newest models. There were even rumors that Lelouch had created a float system.

Cornelia pulled her Knightmare out of the escape route, peering at the screens before heaving a sigh. She hadn't been followed, the Knights of the Round were still too busy with the last of Area 18's forces, they were probably more of a threat than herself and Guilford. Cornelia froze at that thought before ducking her head. She had forgotten that it was only herself and Guilford left.

"Lelouch…" She growled out her younger half brother's name as she turned the Gloucester, heading back to the meeting point. This way, she could circle around the Knights of the Round and, possibly, take out a few before having to call a retreat. If they could get the Rounds down to a manageable number, then Lelouch's technology and skill advantage over them would disappear. Cornelia bit her lip and stared at the desert ahead. She would be emerging behind the Rounds in a few seconds and then this fight would be over.

She jumped as Guilford contacted her, the picture a bit fuzzy because of the damage her Knightmare Frame has sustained the last time that she had been in battle. Her knight's face was clear for one moment before the screen dissolved into static, Cornelia biting back a curse.

"Princess!"

"I'm here Guilford."

"No, you must retreat."

"I never retreat."

"Princess, I insist…" She tensed as he paused, staring at the fuzzy picture before looking around at all of her screens, searching for the thing that had shocked her knight into silence. But she couldn't see anything, nothing but the faint cloud of dust that marked where most of the Rounds were.

"Guilford?"

"That's impossible."

"What's-" She was cut off by what sounded like a jet engine, Cornelia tipping forward to watch as what looked like a jet flew overhead. Her mouth dropped open as the jet banked, parts of it sliding out and rearranging itself until it formed a recognizable Knightmare Frame. "Oh my God."

"Rakshata told us that it was still in development."

"She wouldn't have lied." Cornelia snapped, not sure of her own words. Rakshata was only on their side because Lloyd Asplund worked for Lelouch. She hadn't cared much about the two scientists' on going rivalry, but it was beginning to look like she should have. Schneizel had expressed his concern about it, but Clovis had been the one that had told them not to trust her. Still, it had been too good to pass up. "She couldn't have known."

"They're throwing a prototype into a fight like this?"

"Best way to see if it works." Cornelia shook her head, getting over her shock at seeing the transforming Knightmare. It looked like it had the basic weapons systems that most Knightmare Frames had, nothing new that would cause trouble. That had been the most difficult part of fighting her half brother, the new technology that he kept throwing at them, forcing them to come up with new ways to get around them. And there was no let up in the onslaught. "Guilford, try to take down as many Rounds as you can. Completely destroy the Knightmares."

"Yes, princess." The grainy screen disappeared, Cornelia shifting her fingers so she could reach the buttons to fire the Slash Harkens. Her lance had been lost earlier, possibly imbedded in the Knight of Seven's cockpit, and through his body as well. She smiled to herself at that thought, one less defender for Lelouch, but it had come at too high a price.

Cornelia sped forward, ready to fire her Slash Harkens when her target turned. Her eyes widened as she realized that the Knightmare frame was wielding a weapon, only having a moment to realize the weapon's reach before it was aimed at her. She jerked to the side, feeling her Knightmare wobble as she moved it out of the way.

The machine jerked, Cornelia wincing at the sound of metal on metal. The enemy Knightmare had scored a hit, but it wasn't enough to cause damage. At worst, it had just cut into the metal of the Knightmare Frame. Cornelia scrambled to get control of her Knightmare again, turning it around to see the enemy completing the swing, the end of its blade pushing straight through into the Knightmare Frame that had been following her.

She recognized the purple armor on the Knightmare Frame, refusing to acknowledge it for a moment before she realized the truth. By then, she was watching the Knightmare explode, fragments tumbling in the sand. She stared at the remains of Knightmare, the machine that had carried the last of her loyal men, those same men that she had led to their deaths here. Cornelia felt her hands shake as she stared at the burning Knightmare, slowly forcing herself to look back at the enemy.

There was no way to win this war here, she was out of allies. The last of Area 18's resistance was being crushed in the distance; it was time to move on and give up another victory to the emperor. Despite all of their efforts, Lelouch had managed to completely stabilize seventeen Areas. That just left Area 11, the last battleground of this long war. Cornelia gritted her teeth, some part of her tempted to just give herself up. Schneizel wouldn't show himself until the last minute, when he was sure of a victory and Japan wouldn't last for much longer, not without the other Areas to back it up. Lelouch was going to win.

But, she could never surrender, not while he still had Euphemia. Lelouch had stolen Euphemia away in the chaos that had come when he had taken over the throne. And Cornelia had been stupid enough to allow herself to be convinced to run when she should have stayed. Lelouch didn't kill those who were loyal to him, which was the reason that Euphemia was still alive. Or was it because he could control Cornelia with her?

Either way, she had no choice. For now, she had to retreat.

* * *

Lelouch leaned back in his chair, folding his hands as he watched the screen flicker to life. He had called the Knights of the Round earlier, but had been hastily cut off when the report came through that they had found Cornelia. He smiled to himself, tapping his fingers against the armrest. Lelouch tilted his head back, turning it to the side only to see that Suzaku wasn't there. He frowned and rolled his head back to look forward. He had forgotten that Suzaku had gone to speak to Lloyd about the new weapons that they were adding onto the Lancelot to prepare it for active duty.

He hummed to himself, staring at the screen and frowning. It was taking longer to connect than usual, but they should have been done by now. Lelouch shifted in his chair, missing Suzaku's presence keenly. Even as quiet as his new guard was, it was still someone there, so his option to speak was still open and he wasn't in the habit of speaking to himself.

And, as much as he hated to admit it, Euphy had been right. While he hadn't completely taken her advice, just having Suzaku to look at was relaxing in its own way. Lelouch raised his shoulder in a shrug, immediately pulling the shoulder back down when he realized what he was doing. The Rounds would answer the call at any moment and he couldn't look anything other than focused. He had already risked Nunnally's disappointment and Euphemia's anger for this by avoiding them nearly all day.

Lelouch looked up from his hands as the familiar face of the Knight of One appeared on the screen, quickly smoothing his features into his usual smirk. "Ah, Bismarck."

"Your Highness." The Knight of One bowed, disappearing from the screen to reappear a moment later. "My sincere apologies for the incident earlier."

"You were simply following orders, I cannot fault you for that." Lelouch folded his hands, the corner of his mouth turning up almost into a true smile. "That being said, what is your report?"

Bismarck nodded, Lelouch taking the time to look at the people behind Bismarck. He frowned when he counted only nine people in the room, turning his attention back to Bismarck. He trusted the Knight of One to explain later.

"Area 18 is back under control with the last of the terrorist factions wiped out. The last were killed today including Guilford."

"Cornelia's knight? And what about Cornelia."

"Escaped before we could get to her, your highness. We found her Knightmare."

"So she's still free."

"With your permission, your highness, I will send a few of our number to Schneizel to-"

"No." Bismarck looked taken aback by the interruption, Lelouch giving him a long glare before settling back and breaking eye contact. "The best way to keep Schneizel from interfering is to make sure that he won't have the support of his allies. Cornelia alone we can deal with, she'll find that her resources are limited."

"May I remind your majesty that the JLF are still at large?"

"I am aware of that, but to have Cornelia and Schneizel collaborating would be the worst scenario." Lelouch shifted in his seat. "I want you to lead the Knights of the Round to the EU and talk with the heads of each nation. Remind them that Britannia knows who they are hiding and that we will strike if we find even a rumor that they are helping him. That should be enough to stop Schneizel. After that is done, return to Area 11. Cornelia will be easy enough to contain here, especially with the JLF being careful now that their shield has been destroyed."

Bismarck bowed, mumbling his reply. Lelouch watched him for a moment before returning his gaze to the other Rounds that milled around. "How many lost?"

"Only three, your highness."

"And the Knightmares?"

"Only one completely destroyed."

Lelouch frowned, biting back a curse as he tipped his head to the side. "I'll see what Lloyd can come up with. In the meantime, send me a list of candidates. I don't want the Rounds to be too empty, not when we could win by a show of force."

"Of course, your highness."

The screen faded to black as they disconnected the call, Lelouch narrowing his eyes before turning the chair around and standing up. He stretched, feeling his back pop before he allowed himself to relax. With the matter of the Knights of the Round taken care of he could focus on finding the JLF headquarters. And that had to be done quickly, before Cornelia had a chance to meet up with them.

Lelouch rubbed his forehead, hoping that the headache that was lurking there would go away. His commanders were looking into it, but he was the one who was compiling all the reports and searching for escape routes for them to use. It was more logical than just blundering around and hoping for the best. He stared at his desk, wincing at the neatly stacked papers. There were also policies that he would have to wade through as well as outlining his plans for Area 18.

He walked over to his desk and sunk into his chair, closing his eyes with a long sigh. This war couldn't go on much longer, not if he wanted to keep control of the empire. He didn't want to have to repeat this, although it would help in his plans, but it would be extremely dangerous. If this was dragged on for too long, he would run the risk of assassination. Lelouch opened his eyes, staring at the stacks of paper before leaning forward, reaching for a pen.

He froze as there was a knock on his door, Lelouch frowning before snatching up the pen. He wasn't expecting anyone, and Suzaku had been dismissed as soon as he went to call the Knights of the Round, the testing should have taken longer than that. That still didn't answer the question of who was knocking on his door. Lelouch cocked his head to the side before clearing his throat. "Come in?"

The door inched open, Lelouch relaxing a fraction when Euphemia peeked into the room. He allowed himself to lean back, watching his sister walk towards his desk. He didn't miss her look of shock at the sheer amount of papers, twirling the pen in his fingers before he forced himself to stop. "Euphemia?"

She started and blushed, looking down at her hands before drawing a deep breath, Lelouch automatically tensing at that. "Don't you have advisors to do this?"

"Yes, but they have their jobs."

"Surely they can have a little more-"

"No. This is something that they can't know about." Lelouch took a stack of papers, shifting through the reports from his commanders as he glanced down at the map of Area 11 that he kept on his desk, marking out possible places from what the reports told him. He was quickly narrowing down the places where the JLF could be stationed, the Black Knights were no longer his primary worry.

Euphemia's insistent gaze made him look up, Lelouch giving a long sigh before pulling a piece of paper out of the middle of the stack and passing it over to her, quickly returning to his work. Even then he kept an eye on Euphemia, watching her face as she read the paper. If she wanted to know why he was keeping this to himself, she had the right to know exactly what he was working on. It would be her job in the end. And, with Area 11 so close to being subdued, it was about time to bring her into his plans.

There was a rustle as the paper slid out of Euphemia's hands, Lelouch looking up from his work. "You're giving all of this power…to the prime minister? H-how?"

"It's simple really." Lelouch leaned forward, letting the papers in his hands drop to rest on his desk. "By eliminating the aristocracy altogether."

"Lelouch!"

He smiled, standing up and walking over to collect the piece of paper that he had given her, staring at the draft for the new set of power for the government. "They've been rotting the country from the inside out for too long. Without them, the companies will actually be forced to compete and we'll be able to check them from selling illegally to other countries."

"Y-you mean Areas?"

"I mean countries." Lelouch turned to look at her before sighing and slumping against the desk. "Britannia may as well be dead, Euphy."

"But you can help it? Right?"

"I'm the one who's killing it."

"Lelouch!" He reached out to grab her wrist, glaring at her as she struggled.

"Stop."

"No!"

"Let me explain, Euphy!"

"No, you're ruining everything!"

"I'm saving you!" When she stopped struggling, he gave her a little push away, walking around behind his desk again to further separate himself from his half sister. "You don't want to be used as a political tool. I'm doing my best to make that happen. You want Areas to be granted rights. I'm making that happen." He sighed, setting his hands on the desk and leaning over. "You wanted me to talk to someone about this, so I'm talking to you."

"Why?"

"Because you're going to be the one in charge of this new world." He looked up at her gasp, offering her a smile. "I'm destroying this empire, this world to create a new one; for you and Nunnally."

She shook her head as she stared at him, Lelouch sighing and shaking his head. "Euphemia, you agree that the Areas should be free to do as they wish."

"Y-yes."

"Then that is what I am doing."

"But…but…you're forcing them back into the empire."

"If I don't then their attempts at governing themselves will fail. I can either be the tyrant or the savior, but I can't be both. So I'll play the tyrant for the sake of peace." Lelouch smiled at her. "You can be the savior, Euphy."

"I…I don't understand."

"All of this was for you and Nunnally, to create a world where the two of you wouldn't be used for political gain and where the Areas could become their own countries again. I nearly have everything planned out for this."

Euphemia was slowly nodding along with him, Lelouch watching as she finally understood what he had been doing. She straightened up from where she had slumped against the wall, edging closer to the desk. "No more wars?"

"No. The peace should last."

"How?"

"What better way to instill fear than the risk of returning to the rule of a hated tyrant?" Lelouch chuckled and stood up straight. "If you create something that everyone hates and fears, what will happen when it is destroyed?" Euphemia didn't answer right away, Lelouch watching as he looked anywhere but at him. He slumped and answered his own question. "They'll be willing to take any action towards peace."

He waited her out, watching as she completely understood what he was doing. By taking the throne by killing his father, he had angered the nobles that had supported Charles. By killing off his siblings he had earned the hatred of those who had not supported him, only to have them join his side for fear of losing everything they had. By forcing the Areas into submission, he was making the world both fear and hate him. With the Areas themselves beaten down for a second time they would remain quiet until their chance at freedom came. Lelouch already knew how much the world hated him, calling him a demon and cursing his name. But he had done the impossible and nearly retaken in four years what Britannia had slowly been working at for centuries.

A whimper from Euphy told him that she finally understood, his half sister reaching out for him only to pull back. "No…No. What about Nunnally? You can't just leave her."

"This is for her."

"You're her whole world!" Lelouch was taken aback at the shout, staring at Euphemia as she circled around the desk to face him. "She wants peace, but it would be worthless without you there! How could you even think to do that to her?"

"Euphy, I don't ever intend on leaving my sister alone. I promised her that when our mother died. The destruction of the tyrant will be carefully planned ahead of time."

"It'll be fake."

"Yes." It surprised him how much it hurt to say that. He didn't want to die, not really, not when he had the chance to see Nunnally enjoy the kind of world that she deserved. And there was a certain amount of pride that went with it, he wanted to see all of his ideas put into motion, to see that his work hadn't been in vain. But the thought that his own death would be faked seemed to cheapen the whole idea of peace. The tyrant that the world fought so valiantly against would just slip away quietly and survive. "I'll have to hide for a while, wait until the suspicion and change dies down and then I can come back. But there'll always be people who will suspect that I'm alive."

Euphemia looked away, Lelouch watching her carefully before gesturing towards the papers on the desk. "I'll have everything ready when the time comes, but I can't tell you when the assassination will happen, I don't want the news spreading."

"I understand."

"If you don't want to, Euphy, I can always choose someone else."

"No." She shook her head, her fingers resting against the edge of the desk. "I'll do it. I'm honored to. It's just… Why?"

Lelouch stared at her for a long while before ducking his head. "Because it's the only thing Nunnally wants, a kinder world."

His answer seemed to satisfy Euphemia, his half sister smiling at him before taking a step away from the desk. "Thank you, Lelouch."

He made a dismissive motion with his hand, Euphemia just giggling before darting out of his study, Lelouch watching her go. She was probably going back to her room to talk with Sir Raleigh, and he was sure that she would keep it a secret. Euphemia might not be the smartest girl that he had ever known, but she did know how to keep a secret. That coaxed a smile onto his face, Lelouch glancing at his paper laden desk before deciding to go out. He had spent enough time in this room, it was time to make a visit to Lloyd and see what the scientist could do about the Round's Knightmares and inspect the progress on the Lancelot. There were probably some talented low rank officers that he could find out around the A.S.E.E.C. that couldn't move up because of their lack of noble status that would make excellent knights, so he would settle two things with one trip.

Then maybe, if he hurried, he would have time to have lunch with Nunnally. He had been avoiding his sister too much lately, mired down with the worries of running the empire and working on a way to dismantle it. He didn't want Nunnally figuring out too much about his plans, even as much as it hurt him to lie to her.

* * *

Suzaku carefully opened one eye, staring at the empty barracks before daring to uncurl himself, wincing at the pain that flared along his side and down his back. Only when Suzaku was completely stretched out did he take stock of his injuries, relieved that nothing was broken. If that had happened, then he would have been at the Royal Guard's mercy again. He swallowed at that thought, rolling onto his stomach and beginning to push himself from the ground.

He wobbled when he got to his feet, swaying in place before he limped over a nearby mirror, quickly fixing his hair as he checked for blood. The Royal Guards had been careful to do nothing to damage his face or his clothes for the most part, probably wanting to just scare him away or get him in trouble for moving too slowly. Still, they hadn't even managed to do much lasting damage, just a few bruises that would be hidden by his shirt and one that was just starting to form under his right eye.

Suzaku reached up to touch the sore skin, pulling his fingers away with a wince. He had a while before it became too noticeable, but he wasn't sure if the excuse that he had tripped would work. He shook his head and straightened out his uniform, turning slightly to make sure everything was in order before limping out towards the building that housed the Lancelot and the A.S.E.E.C.

In retrospect, it had been a bad idea to move out to where the other members of the Royal Guards slept. It wasn't like his world, where it was alright to be Japanese in amongst Britannians, here he was just a Number. Granted it had only been one day, nearly two, but he thought that it would stop at some point, and it had yet to. He had yet to actually get more than five hours of sleep, even when he snuck back to the barracks to try and get a nap in when Lelouch dismissed him. The others would pull him from his bed and drag him somewhere before running off, leaving Suzaku to get to his feet and put his uniform to right before stumbling off towards the administrative building. Strangely enough, it was the only place where he felt safe.

Still, he would have to go back there tonight, there was nowhere else for him to stay. He wasn't specifically assigned to a member of the royal family, Lelouch just seemed to always chose him for guard duty, so he couldn't sleep in the administrative building, he was stuck with the rest of the Royal Guard. Then again, he was sure that he could work something out with Lloyd and Cecile. Even sleeping curled up in the cockpit of the Lancelot would be better than another night with the Royal Guard.

That was, of course, if he could explain the time machine. Suzaku winced and nearly stumbled, quickly regaining his balance. He had been avoiding the two since he had heard that the rest of the Britannian forces in Japan had retreated back to the administrative building. Lloyd would have figured out what the car was within moments and Cecile would eventually have been swayed to the idea if there was no other explanation. But he didn't want to be the one to do the explaining, they would probably think he was crazy and kick him out of the Royal Guard. And, if it meant staying close to Lloyd and Cecile, he would deal with the abuse dealt to him.

He stopped in front of the hangar that was tucked at the back of the administrative building, staring at it before taking a deep breath. He couldn't avoid the two scientists any longer, not with a request from them that was backed up with an order from the emperor. Apparently, Lelouch wasn't in need of his services when he spoke to the Knights of the Round. Then again, the emperor had been grudgingly putting up with him, probably because of the insistence of his sisters. Suzaku could see that much was true from the smiles that they gave him when their brother wasn't looking and from the glares that the emperor threw his way. But, there were worse places for him to be, like the main part of the invasion force or out in the ghettos.

Suzaku sighed and walked over to the door, pushing it open and stepping into the building. He blinked to adjust his eyes to the darker interior, shutting the door behind him as he took a slow step forward. When no one rushed out he relaxed a fraction, walking down the hallway and into the main hangar.

The first thing that caught his eyes was the looming shape of the Lancelot, the Knightmare Frame surrounded by the scaffold that allowed the mechanics and engineers to work on it. Suzaku stared at his Knightmare before shaking his head, scanning the floor of the hangar only to freeze as he picked out a lump in one of the darker corners. He had thought that they would have hidden the time machine more than just throwing a tarp over it, but it was Lloyd. Suzaku swallowed nervously and continued walking forward, stepping fully into the high ceilinged room.

Lloyd was the first to spot him, the scientist turning from where he was leaning over a computer screen and giving him an expansive wave. "Well, if it isn't our little devicer? Did the emperor finally release you from his clutches?"

"No such luck." Suzaku gestured to his uniform with a shaky smile. "I'm still a part of the Royal Guard. He hasn't kicked me out yet."

"Don't you dare. Then my precious Lancelot will never get its moment in the limelight."

Suzaku jumped at that before smiling, shaking his head as he walked carefully towards the stairs that led up to the platform where the banks of computers were. He made sure to hide his limp, already feeling the pain fading. That still didn't stop him from leaning against the computer, keeping his weight off of his bad leg as the stared down at the screen. The numbers and percentages that were flashing on it made no sense to him, Suzaku frowning and leaning closer, trying to place the few names that were on the screen with what he was being shown.

Lloyd laughed from his place beside him, giving him a pat on the shoulder before sliding into his seat. "But I doubt that the emperor asks that much of you."

"Hm?"

The scientist didn't look up from the computer, typing commands and watching the numbers change. "Avoiding us because of your little discovery?"

"What discovery?" Suzaku tried to stay calm, pretending to think it over. He was about to pass off the find of the car as something that he could barely remember when Lloyd held up the activation key for the Lancelot, Suzaku about to take it when he recognized it.

It was the key that he had used for the car. The key that he used for the Knightmare frame had a loop of plastic around it while the car key had a more conventional keychain.

Suzaku took a step back before he could stop himself, Lloyd not seeming to notice it as he turned the key over in his hands. "Cecile swears that it's a fake. And I would prove her wrong, but I don't want to explode."

"Explode?"

"I've heard that it might happen. It would be something to see, but I would get caught up in it." Lloyd sighed and tossed the key into the air, Suzaku following its path with his eyes. "Ah well."

"I…I don't understand."

"I think you do." Suzaku was taken aback by the seriousness in Lloyd's voice, jumping when the scientist laughed. "Now, tell me how it works."

Suzaku stuttered through the start of a reply before he shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know how."

"Hmm…"

"Lloyd?" The two looked up as Cecile climbed up to where they were. "Oh, Suzaku, welcome back." He noticed her quick glance towards the car under the tarp before she cleared her throat. "There are a few simulations that we want to run with the Lancelot."

He nodded, glancing back at Lloyd before walking to where Cecile gestured. He stepped into the small room, coming to a stop when he saw the pilot suit he had worn before. Suzaku swallowed as he walked up to it, running his hands over the suit as he stared at the key that was hanging on the hook by it. He felt a fond smile crossing his face before he shook his head.

He quickly stripped out of his uniform, making sure to hang it up properly before struggling into the pilot suit. Suzaku sucked in a quick breath as he zipped the suit up, feeling the material cling to his body. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, blushing as he stepped out into the room.

There were a few chuckles as he walked back to where Cecile and Lloyd were and more than a few lingering stares on his backside. Suzaku ducked his head, feeling his blush get deeper. He kept his gaze glued to the ground as Cecile began to explain what they were doing, barely paying attention. Suzaku nearly ran to where the Lancelot stood when she was done, quickly clambering into the cockpit and sliding back in.

Suzaku took a deep breath as soon he was inside, relaxing slowly now that he was away from the rest of the A.S.E.E.C. He glanced up as the screen flickered to life, Cecile giving him a soft smile. "Sorry about them."

"Don't worry about it."

She nodded, glancing up from her papers quickly to lean forward. "Suzaku…your eye…"

"Oh," so the bruise had started to show, "I just ran into someone earlier. Don't worry about me."

Cecile didn't look convinced even when he smiled, Suzaku ducking his head and looking over all of the controls. She seemed to take that as an end to the conversation. "We'll run through a few programs and tell you what to do. For now all weapons systems are disabled."

"Right." Suzaku leaned forward, rolling his shoulders as he settled into position. This would probably be the easiest part of his job, he wouldn't have to worry about the rest of the Royal Guard or the emperor. He just had to follow orders, someone else would do the thinking for him for a short span of time. He felt himself relax further at that, it was nice to give up control every once and a while, to have someone else take care of him.

He let himself concentrate fully on the orders that were coming through the incom, familiarizing himself further with the machine that he would be piloting, learning the delays in the system as much as he could from a stand still. Suzaku was sure that Cecile would fill him in on the quirks of the Lancelot after this testing session was done; that or he would have to pick them out from Lloyd's ramblings on the machine.

Suzaku was pulled out of his concentration when Cecile appeared on the screen again, surprised by the smile on her face. "We're wrapping it up for the day. Tomorrow, we'll need you in to test some of the new weapons. Can you get down here around the same time?"

"If my duties allow me to."

Suzaku jumped slightly in the cockpit as Lloyd slid into view. "They will." The scientist gave him a broad smile. "We have a special visitor."

He tipped his head to the side before deciding to ignore the comment. Suzaku pressed the button that would allow him to slide out of the Knightmare, wincing as he went to stand up. Now his muscles were complaining from the beating and the cramped position. He sighed, stretching out one leg before stepping onto the scaffolding, watching as the technicians swarmed around the Lancelot again, probably getting it ready for when Cecile and Lloyd added the new weapons systems.

Suzaku walked to the end of the scaffold, rolling his shoulders to get the ache out of them from holding a single position for a long period of time. It would be a while before he could sit comfortable for hours in the Knightmare. He rubbed one shoulder absently, coming to a quick stop when he saw who was standing with Cecile and Lloyd.

Jeremiah looked up, giving him a short nod before turning away, Suzaku too busy staring at the person standing beside the guard. Why would the emperor bother to come to Lloyd? There was no reason to, not even to discipline him for missing something. Suzaku dropped his hand from his shoulder, reaching down to hold onto the railing as he continued to walk, forcing himself not to meet Lelouch's gaze.

But that didn't stop the emperor from looking at him.

Suzaku gritted his teeth as he felt Lelouch's gaze land on him, staring at the computer screen instead of glaring at the emperor. Once again, the meaning of the numbers that evaded him, but they were a welcome distraction. At least, they were until Lloyd jumped up out of his seat with a shout of joy. Suzaku barely had a chance to take a step back before Lloyd before he was pulled into an awkward hug that sent him stumbling back into the computer. Lloyd was skipping away before Suzaku could recover, laughing and muttering to himself.

He took a deep breath, easing up on his death grip on the computer console and straightening up. Suzaku swallowed and looked back at Cecile, the woman just smiling at him. "Good job, Suzaku."

"For what?"

"That's the best score we've gotten out of a pilot, barring some of the Knights of the Round."

"Better than the Rounds." Lloyd pulled Suzaku into another hug before sliding back into the chair, eagerly running through the numbers. "None of the Rounds could do this. He could beat the Rounds right now."

Suzaku stared at Lloyd before shaking his head, giving a nervous laugh. "It's just a fluke. I'd never piloted one of those things before that day." He turned his head to look at Jeremiah, surprised by the look of awe on the guard's face. "It has to be."

No one seemed to be listening to him, Suzaku feeling himself slump a fraction. There was no reason he would be good at piloting a Knightmare, the Japanese hadn't been able to even touch the machines unless they had been part of a resistance movement. Even living with Lloyd and Cecile hadn't given him anything. He had heard about the Knightmares and they talked about how they had built them, but never how to pilot them.

Neither Lloyd nor Cecile seemed to have heard him, the two speaking as they stared at the computer screen, or it was Lloyd speaking and Cecile interjecting when she could. Suzaku shook his head, freezing when something brushed against his cheek. He was about to look up when the bruise that was forming on his side of his face was pressed again, Suzaku going to pull his head away when the fingers got a firm hold on his chin and forced him to look up.

He found himself staring right at the emperor, Suzaku looking away quickly. He let Lelouch do as he wished, feeling the fingers tighten on his chin before they dropped away. Suzaku glanced back at Lelouch, surprised at the look of disgust on the emperor's face. The expression was only there for a moment before Lelouch turned away to look at Lloyd, Suzaku staring at him in confusion. For a moment, it had looked like Lelouch was concerned for him. He shook his head and straightened up, stepping away from the emperor.

"Lloyd, we're going to need a new Knightmare for the Rounds, one completely destroyed and most of them suffered damage."

The scientist looked longingly at the Lancelot before turning to speak to the emperor, Suzaku taking another step back. He jumped as Jeremiah reached out to stop him, watching as the man glanced at the bruise on the side of his face, but he didn't comment on it. "Will you be continuing your duties as his majesty's personal guard?"

"Unless ordered otherwise."

"Good." Suzaku was surprised by the smile that crossed Jeremiah's face. "It's nice not to have to listen to the complaining from the others."

Suzaku smiled in thanks, stepping out of the way as Lelouch turned around. The emperor glanced at him for a moment before clearing his throat. "Kururugi, where are you staying?"

"Royal Guard barracks." Suzaku thought he saw a flash of disappointment cross Lelouch's face, but it was gone before he could think too much about it.

The emperor gave him one last glance before walking away, Jeremiah following carefully on his heels. Suzaku turned to watch them go, frowning as he tried to decide why Lelouch had seemed disappointed about his answer. He was doing everything right, as far as he knew, and he couldn't be like Jeremiah; he was no faithful family retainer, he was just another Eleven. Still, sticking close to Lelouch was quickly becoming the better alternative to staying with the other guards. Or, he could avoid the headache that Lelouch always seemed to cause and stay close to Cecile and Lloyd. Until the time machine was fixed, it was the smartest thing that he could do.

Suzaku turned around, stepping up into place behind Lloyd and looking over his shoulder, the scientist probably too engrossed in his world to notice him. That thought was proven wrong as Lloyd turned in his chair with a smile. "Liar."

"What?"

"You've piloted the Lancelot before."

"Just once."

"Twice." Suzaku was taken aback by Lloyd's insistence. The scientist pointed to the tarp covered time machine towards the back of the hangar. "That's the Lancelot."

"It's a car."

"Heavily modified with parts from the Lancelot and activated by its key." Lloyd laughed, Suzaku jumping at the sound and looking around nervously. No one could know what that car was, he didn't want to risk losing his one way home. He also didn't want to risk the world that he had come from disappearing because some other Britannian noble wanted to try and bring back the glory of the Britannian empire.

Lloyd tugged him down by his arm, a smile still on his face. "It's a time machine."

Suzaku didn't respond for a moment, realizing his mistake a moment later. He might as well have just said yes, because his silence confirmed what Lloyd was looking for. Suzaku blushed and ducked his head. "You can't keep it. I'm going to need it."

"Hm…" Lloyd hummed to himself for a moment before sighing. "But who will pilot my Lancelot?"

"You just said that-"

"It's not the same."

Suzaku stared at Lloyd before shaking his head. "I could tell you why."

"But that would spoil the fun of not knowing the future." Lloyd flashed him a bright smile before sighing. "Fine, take it away."

"I can't. It's wrecked."

"Which is why you sent it my way." Lloyd chuckled to himself before turning around and sitting in his chair backwards. "And why should I fix it when I could lose my favorite devicer?"

Suzaku felt a pang of homesickness at the term, hating the way that Lloyd threw the phrase out there. It wasn't Lloyd's fault, if anything it was his. "I'm your only devicer."

"See?"

"Let's make a deal." He regretted speaking as soon as he had gotten the words out, watching as Lloyd perked up. "I'm not going to need it for a year or so, until then I'll be your devicer… And don't do anything to it."

Lloyd waved him away as he settled back into his seat, facing the right way this time. "Of course. Wouldn't want to worry your parents now, would we?"

Suzaku froze at that, staring at the back of Lloyd's head before shrugging and stepping away. Lloyd looked like he was too focused on his data from the Lancelot to bother with him anymore, so he would go and find Cecile to see if there was anything else that he could do. He didn't want to go back to the administrative building just yet, not with what Lelouch had done when he had seen him, but he didn't want to return to the Royal Guard barracks. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, smothering a yawn. He would just have to find somewhere else to sleep for the night, or volunteer to stand on guard for the entirety of the night, then he would have the barracks to himself while the others went out.

There was always the chance that Cecile and Lloyd would let him stay here. He was sure that Lloyd would allow that of him, especially if he promised to talk more about the time machine. And it would give him a chance to try and convince the two that he really was their adopted son. Even though he was able to spend time with them like this, he missed them, missed the two that he would grow up knowing. Suzaku wrapped his arms around his stomach, the home sickness coming back. He missed waking up to the smell of another one of Cecile's failed attempts at cooking, missed being chased and bitten by Arthur. He missed helping Lloyd out on one of his crazy projects. He even missed Cecile scolding him for staying up too late to work on homework or with Lloyd.

He yelped as he bumped into someone, nearly falling over. A hand landed on his shoulder, steadying him for a moment before it was gone, Suzaku looking up and finding himself staring at Cecile. He barely stopped himself from throwing himself at her and hugging her. Suzaku stared at the one hand that he had stretched out before snatching it back, cradling it to his chest as he smiled up at her. "Sorry."

"No, it's my fault." She smiled at him, patting his shoulder before turning around to look at where he had come from, frowning when she saw Lloyd bent over the computer screen. "Did he say something?"

"Lloyd? No." He shook his head, forcing himself to laugh. "No, I'm just a bit overwhelmed."

He watched her gaze stray up to the bruise by his eye, her hand squeezing his shoulder. "It's easy to get that way. Come on, I'll walk you through the new weapons for the Lancelot." She let go of his shoulder, turning to walk away. Cecile stopped when she realized that he wasn't following, Suzaku hoping that he didn't look too helpless staring after her. She had just caught him at a bad time.

To his relief, Cecile just smiled and tilted her head to the side in a clear invitation. "You coming?"

"Of course." He fell into step beside her, trying his best to keep up his smile up. It would hurt more if she decided to pry, he didn't want to make up a story about his fake parents and be reminded that he had left Cecile in the future. He had just decided to go back to the past and leave the woman who had essentially raised him to her own devices in a dangerous area. Still, Cecile was a tough woman, and that was the only thing that was keeping him from panicking.

* * *

Euphemia leaned her chin on her palm, staring at the papers that she had spread out on her bed, trying to remember what Lelouch had told her in the study. If she was going to be the empress after him, she wanted to understand the policies that she would put in motion, she was not going to allow herself to be a puppet to Lelouch's ideas. She tapped her pen against the paper, biting her lip.

As soon as Lelouch was done with his inspection and lunch she would speak to him again and ask him to start explaining his plans. Then, they would have to talk about battle strategies and the plans Lelouch had in the future. She knew that he would keep things from her for the shock reaction that it would get, but there were a few things that she wouldn't let him get away with, especially if he was expecting her to lie to Nunnally about his faked death.

She sighed and rolled over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling above her bed, a small smile on her face. She had just known that Lelouch hadn't really become the horrible tyrant that she heard stories about. There had been a few times, when Lelouch was occupied with his work or battles against the Black Knights, that she had snuck out to the settlement and just listened.

The people of Area 11 called him a demon and cursed his name. And, surprisingly, many Britannians did too, but they feared him more for the power that he was gathering. They were used to an emperor that seemed disinterested with everything that happened outside of the motherland, only reaching out to settle the more violent of the rebellions. Their father had never left the capital and its comforts if he could; he was much more interested in his harem of wives and concubines.

She tapped the end of the pen against the paper behind her head. At least she knew now why Lelouch was doing this, although she could have pinned it on the fact that Lelouch had seen his mother killed and his sister crippled. Euphemia bit her lip and shifted to her side, staring at the plate that was on one of her shelves, carefully propped up.

It was a plate celebrating the knighting of Marianne, the plate that her own mother had given carelessly to her on the day of the event. In actuality, it was Cornelia's plate, she had given her own to Nunnally when both her and Lelouch had been sent to Japan. That exile was probably both the best and worst thing that could have happened to them; it had given them a chance to get away from the capital and all of its intrigues, but it had just reinforced the fact that they were just political pawns, things to be created and then thrown away when their usefulness ran out. That was what had probably driven Lelouch over the edge.

Euphemia sat up slowly, reaching down to catch a piece of paper when it tumbled off the bed, freezing at the soft chime that came from the screen in her room. She sighed, gathering up the papers and depositing them on her desk. Euphemia fixed her hair before reaching under to touch the base of the screen, taking a quick step back.

The screen flickered, Euphemia breaking into a smile as she saw the familiar face of the Knight of Five on the screen. She laughed and sat down in one of the chairs in her room, pulling it close to the screen. "Albert!"

"Princess Euphemia." She frowned as he gave her a respectful nod. She had told him to call her Euphemia or Euphy, she didn't like her title. It separated her too much from the rest of the world, the part that she really wanted to understand. "It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you too." Euphemia shifted in her seat, drawing her legs up. A shiver went down her spine as the knight watched her move, not quite sure if she liked the openly lustful gaze. She liked being the object of his attentions, her mother had always been more focused on attracting Charles' attention to her again and Cornelia had doted on her, but she had always been treated as the precious little sister. There was something wonderful about being treated like a woman. Euphemia smiled to herself before leaning forward. "Bismarck called earlier. What's the news?"

"Area 18 is secure, but I thought that the emperor would have announced that already."

Euphemia waved her hand. "He's been busy."

"Too busy for you."

"Of course not. There are just things to do today." She shifted in her seat again, sure that Raleigh would take that as a sign that she was lying. "Whatever happened in the Middle-Area 18 has given him more to do."

Raleigh laughed. "It would, we lost three Rounds and a Knightmare." She gasped, shaking her head as she watched Raleigh sigh. "Three of our Rounds and the best Knightmare because of those damn Numbers."

"Albert…"

"No, they deserve this." He glared at her before flinching and looking away, shaking his head. "Guilford is dead."

"Guilford?" His name caught in her through, Euphemia slumping back in her chair with a hand pressed over her heart. Cornelia would be devastated by that, Guilford had been her loyal knight since he had been chosen when she was a teenager. Euphemia bit her lip and glanced at the screen. Raleigh was a proud loyal Britannian, he would take offense if she asked about her sister. Knowing him, he would probably report it to Lelouch in the hopes that she would be punished. Euphemia was sure that he loved her in his own way, and never the way she wanted to be loved, but that wouldn't be enough to keep her safe from him if he decided to turn him in.

"Yes. It was a waste of a good man, but it was our only choice. Cornelia was smart enough to get away." Euphemia tried not to react to the anger that Raleigh showed towards her sister. It wasn't Cornelia's fault, after all. Lelouch had made sure that no one knew about what he was planning; she was sure that he was keeping things from her even now. But then, that could easily be blamed on Lelouch never trusting anyone, which was why it was amazing that he was willing to give up the throne and all his plans for the future to her.

Euphemia folded her hands in her lap. "So you'll be coming back soon?"

"No. We've been ordered to stay out a bit longer." Raleigh gave her an apologetic smile. "I can't tell you where, you understand."

"Of course."

"And I don't know how long that will take."

"As long as I know you are returning."

Raleigh nodded slowly, Euphemia taking a deep breath as she saw the usual question coming. Once ascertaining that she was safe and healthy, he would always ask about the one person more important that her. "Is the emperor safe?"

"Yes." She tried to keep the disappointment from her face. "He's started actually using the Royal Guards now, and Jeremiah is following him around when one of them can't be around."

"Good. We were all worried when his majesty sent us off and left himself unguarded."

"He'll be fine until you return." Euphemia smiled, sure that he would relax with that. It was terrifying how well she could read him, especially considering that they hardly ever talked about themselves. Raleigh only checked in on her because it was the thing a gentleman should do to the lady he was courting, despite the fact that they had crossed that line many times, and because it was his way to make sure the emperor was still alive since he didn't have the authority to call Lelouch for such a trivial thing.

Raleigh nodded, Euphemia frowning when she saw him reach out to turn off the screen. Of course he would end the call right away, he had just called her to check on the status of the emperor. And why did she let this bother her? They were just together to have someone there, there was nothing permanent or any feelings attached to their relationship.

He gave her a smile before shutting off the screen without a word of farewell, Euphemia staring at it for a moment before standing up and nearly shoving her chair to the side. She quickly composed herself and walked back over to her desk. This was no way for a future empress to behave, she had to practice keeping herself calm and collected. Euphemia settled behind her desk, letting out her breath in a long sigh before folding her hands.

She had to be more like Lelouch, in a way; she had to learn how to plan. Euphemia bit her lip, gazing at the messy notes that she had made. Tomorrow, she would talk to him about his plans, start to drag the information out of him if she had to. He couldn't keep her in the dark anymore if he expected her to be able to do anything. Then again, he still had the JLF to handle. Euphemia clasped her hands together tightly, watching as her knuckles turned white.

The JLF were the strongest resistance force in Area 11, and they had been slowly gathering members as Lelouch plowed through their shields. Her brother didn't even know where the JLF headquarters was at this moment, but she was sure that he was close. Still, it was probably one of the most organized resistance groups that they had gone up against, and it was about to get worse. There was no question of where Cornelia would go when she arrived in Area 11, especially after she found out that Clovis was dead. For Lelouch and Cornelia's sake, she hoped that Cornelia wouldn't get to the JLF on time, Euphemia didn't want to lose any more of her siblings.

With Lelouch's plans it seemed that she would, since Lelouch couldn't let Cornelia live, not while she so vehemently resisted him. Then again, if Euphemia could get Cornelia to support Lelouch or, even better, get the JLF to surrender to them, then she had a chance. Even if the JLF called a temporary cease fire, that would be enough. It would destroy the image that Lelouch was going for, but it would be worth it if it kept two of her siblings alive. And it would give her a bit of credit in the JLF's eyes.

Euphemia straightened up in her seat at that, frowning as she thought the idea through. Even if she managed to gain the throne after Lelouch had faked his death, then the people of the empire would just think that she was a puppet, even if she dissolved the Areas. But, if she started to slowly disobey Lelouch, then it would look like she supported the bid for freedom above her brother's reign. But it would have to be done subtly, the people of the world would try to rescue her if they thought that she was in trouble. Even Lelouch would have to do something to her to continue to play his role, even if it would be faked.

She slumped back down, shaking her head. Lelouch wouldn't agree to the idea, probably because it would mess with his already perfect plan, but she wasn't going to let more people die. She didn't care if it was adding to the image that Lelouch was trying to create, she just didn't want to watch people suffer.

Euphemia looked up at a knock on the door, standing up as the door opened slowly. Lelouch peered in before opening the door completely, Euphemia smiling at the sight of the familiar guard standing behind Lelouch. Suzaku gave his own partial bow, Euphemia frowning when she saw the bruise on Suzaku's face. A glance at Lelouch showed that her brother was aware of that as well, Lelouch glancing at her before going back to glaring at the ground.

She hid a smile behind her hand as she stepped towards the door, curtsying to Lelouch as protocol demanded. So, some of his mask was cracking when faced with Suzaku, it was good to know that he was only faking his hatred for the Numbers.

Lelouch motioned for her to walk out of the room, offering his arm to her. She accepted it, allowing Lelouch to escort her down to dinner. Euphemia paused only long enough to look over her shoulder at Suzaku again, making sure that the bruise wasn't just a trick of the light. "Who did that?"

"The Royal Guard." Lelouch kept his voice low, probably low enough so that Suzaku wouldn't hear him. "They think he's overstepped his rights."

"Well…"

"They won't get away with it." She glanced at him, trying her best to make the move subtle. Lelouch would probably have felt better talking about this away from Suzaku, but she wasn't going to let him duck out of his conversation, not after she was seeing him finally react to something instead of just glaring coldly at it. "He'll be staying close."

"Where?" Lelouch hesitated for a moment, Euphemia watching him lick his lips as he thought. She smiled at that before tugging him closer, feeling him wobble at the unexpected move. "There's always your room."

"Euphy-"

"Not in your bed," there was a spark of interest at that, Euphemia forcing back a giggle, "but in your room. It would be more efficient in the case of an attack."

Lelouch muttered something under his breath, Euphemia catching the word 'temptation' and smiling, tipping her face up towards him. "Is he that much of one?"

The silence that followed her question was answer enough for Euphemia. She hid her smirk, although not well enough judging by the glare that Lelouch threw her way. She had always suspected, but she had never had the evidence. Euphemia bit back another giggle before looking ahead, letting Lelouch guide her through the administrative building. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"I try to make a habit of not giving into temptations."

"But you will." Lelouch gave her a long glance, Euphemia rolling her eyes. "You're human, Lelouch."

"I don't have time to be."

"Let me help you, then you'll have time."

"I don't have time for mistakes either."

Euphemia frowned and tried to come up with a response to that, only to be thwarted as they walked into the dining room. She was escorted to her seat by her brother before Lelouch walked off, Suzaku trailing behind him. Euphemia sighed, watching the two out of the corner of her eye.

They looked good together, in a strange way. It seemed right that Suzaku was hovering behind her brother, and not in the normal order of Numbers and Britannians. He was a steady presence behind Lelouch, the strength that Lelouch lacked. Of course, it could be her romantic side getting in the way again. In any other circumstance, she would have loved to have the chance to be courted by Suzaku, but she had missed her chance.

She let out another sigh and straightened up, smiling when Nunnally was wheeled into the room by Jeremiah, listening to Lelouch strike up a conversation with her. It was moments like these that she could pretend that everything was normal, that she had just come over to the Aries Palace to escape from her mother or that she wanted to visit Lelouch and Nunnally. Any minute, Marianne would walk through the door with Cornelia following after her and all of these years of war would be just a bad dream. But then she would look at Lelouch, really look at him, and see the signs of the stress that he was under, the constant tension that he held himself with and the look of wariness in his eyes.

Euphemia let her eyes slide close as she wished for those times back. It would be better for all of them if they could go back to before Marianne was murdered, then everyone would be alright and she wouldn't have to worry about Lelouch faking his own death. It would be perfect and relaxing again, then Guilford wouldn't have had to die and Cornelia wouldn't be on the run. They could all be together again.

"Euphy, are you alright?"

She opened her eyes, Nunnally staring at her worriedly. Euphemia smiled and laughed, leaning forward. "Of course I am."

* * *

Kallen was shaken awake by Ohgi, staring at him for a moment before bolting upright, wincing as the wrench that she had been holding clattered to the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's alright." Ohgi gave her a soft smile, Kallen quickly turning her head away.

It wasn't alright, she had fallen asleep when she was supposed to be making repairs on the Guren. She was sure that the other mechanics were laughing at her by now, the ace pilot unable to keep her eyes open to do one job right. They had been working hard since their defeat at Shinjuku to scavenge parts and refit the Knightmares that they had managed to save, and Kallen had been doing nothing up to this point.

She bit her lower lip, leaning over into the cockpit to see if she had dropped any other tools into the Knightmare when she had nodded off. She jumped when Ohgi took hold of her hips, glancing up at him with a smile before reaching further, retrieving a screwdriver before scrambling to get back up, Ohgi helping her out.

Kallen leaned back against the wall of the carrier, trying to find a comfortable place on the Guren's armor. She glanced at Ohgi, taking in his haggard appearance before deciding to ignore it. He would only brush her concern off and ask about her, citing Naoto as his reason, like he always had. Kallen sighed, rubbing her forehead with her freehand, playing with the screwdriver with her other hand. "Did I miss a meeting?"

"No. I haven't called one yet." Ohgi looked guilty before sitting on the Guren's other shoulder, placing both of his hands on his knees and staring at the armor. Kallen raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter, watching him carefully.

Ohgi looked up at her after a moment, giving her a nervous smile. "The JLF contacted us."

"What?" Kallen glanced down at the other mechanics before lowering her voice. "I hope you hung up on them after what they did to us."

"I couldn't."

"Ohgi…"

"Just listen." He cleared his throat before lowering his voice to a whisper, Kallen forced to scoot closer to him to listen. "Area 18 has fallen, we're the last ones fighting."

Kallen's mouth fell open. She struggled with the concept for a moment before shaking her head. "And?"

"They killed all of the Britannians who were against Lelouch there, except for Cornelia. She escaped and is coming to Japan."

Kallen's eyes widened for a moment, Cornelia was famous for her genius in battle. She was the only one of the royal family that had been able to stand up to the Britannian forces as they pushed through the Areas. If she was coming to Japan, it meant that they might actually stand a chance.

Still, for the JLF to have contacted them over something like this didn't bode well, especially after the defeat that they had suffered. If anything, the Black Knights should have been begging the JLF to help them out. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Ohgi. "What's the catch?"

"Knew you would pick that up." Ohgi sighed and tipped his head to the side. "Officially, they're dropping all support for the Black Knights seeing as we're not much of a resistance movement anymore."

"Bastards."

Ohgi shot her a warning look before nodding slowly. "I'm going to call a meeting after dinner to talk about what they proposed."

"There's nothing to talk about, they left us high and dry after Shinjuku! They used us as a shield to protect themselves. The JLF hasn't done anything to protect Japan since the invasion. They're a bunch of useless old men who do nothing but dream of better days."

Ohgi looked uncomfortable with her outburst, turning away to look at another part of the carrier. "Kallen, they're trying to get Cornelia over to Japan. If they don't do something, the Chinese Federation will capture her and just hand her over to Lelouch to keep him from turning his attention to them. It's the same with the EU."

She shrugged, hunching forward. "Why should I care?"

"We need her, Kallen." Ohgi rubbed his palms against his knees before looking up at her, holding her gaze this time. "If Lelouch goes after the JLF then we're done for."

Kallen twitched where she sat, fighting the urge to throw the screwdriver. She didn't want to admit that Ohgi was right, but she didn't want him to just blindly follow the JLF. They had worked hard to gain the group's trust only to have the JLF shamelessly use them while not bothering to do anything to help the Japanese people. Perhaps it was time for them to do something, but they were ducking behind their shield groups again. She sighed, clenching her hand more tightly around the screwdriver. "What do they want?"

"A distraction."

"Oh is that all?"

"Kallen, they need the Britannians' attention to be somewhere else while they smuggle Cornelia in."

"So they want us to just agree to allow ourselves to be slaughtered?"

Ohgi shook his head. "If there was any other group-"

"There isn't, they made sure of that."

"Kallen," the anger in his voice made her start, Kallen staring at Ohgi as he continued to look away from her, "this is our one chance. They're pulling back all the members of the other groups to strengthen their numbers, they're getting ready for full scale attack against the Britannians, something that we could never accomplish. We're going to try and win back Japan."

"After we're used as bait."

Ohgi slumped, shaking his head before standing up. "Just come to the meeting, Kallen, and we'll vote. If the rest of us agree to it, then we'll do it."

"There's no need to vote!"

Ohgi gave her a glare before clambering down the Guren, Kallen leaning over the side to watch him go. She glared at his retreating back before sliding into the cockpit with a huff. She knew exactly what would happen when Ohgi put that suggestion to a vote, the Black Knights would agree to be the shield again; the fact that the JLF intended to pull the few of them that made it out of the diversion alive would be enough for them. They all wanted the war to just end and they hoped for the outcome that they wanted, but it was looking like an impossible thing to attain the longer that they struggled. Kallen gritted her teeth, fighting back the urge to punch something. No matter what she would have to go along with this because she wanted to protect the Black Knights, if just for the sake of the organization.

Kallen slumped, leaning forward against the controls, automatically shifting into the proper piloting position for the Guren. The screwdriver dropped out of her hand, Kallen watching it fall to the floor and roll towards the front of the cockpit. She cursed and leaned forward to grab the screwdriver, rolling the tool around in her palm.

There was nothing that she could do about the vote, as a member of the Black Knights she had to abide by what they decided, even if she didn't like it. Even then she had nowhere else to go, the Black Knights were the only resistance movement left open to her and it would be abandoning the cause to just give up and go back to life as a civilian, if she could even do that. Kallen sighed and pushed herself upright, holding the screwdriver carefully.

In the end, there was nothing that she could do, so she would just have to go with whatever they decided on. But she would be the one to make the back up plans and look over all of their battle plans. If they had to act as a shield for the JLF, she was going to make sure that they would lose as little of their people as possible.

* * *

Lelouch tipped the book down, smiling as he saw that Nunnally had already drifted off to sleep. He slipped the bookmark back into the book before setting it down on the nightstand. He paused a moment to look at his sleeping sister before sighing and standing up. A glance at the door showed that Suzaku was still there, Lelouch relaxing a fraction at that. With all the looks that Euphemia had been throwing the guard's way he had expected her to drag Suzaku off.

Then again, that wasn't a fair evaluation of his sister. Euphemia wasn't the kind of person to sleep around with every man in the building, she would prefer to stick to one. Still, she already had the Knight of Five as her lover, he wanted to be able to keep one of those under his command to himself.

Lelouch shook his head and walked over to the door, Suzaku holding it open for him. He glanced at the guard, contemplating what to do with his newest acquisition. Lelouch shrugged and stepped out in the hall, stretching carefully. He used the moment to glance back over his shoulder, his gaze lingering on Suzaku for a moment longer than it should have. The idea to just allow Suzaku to sleep in his room was becoming more tempting by the minute, and not for the reasons that Euphemia obviously wanted.

For one, it would be easier than having him just stand outside of the door, Lelouch was a light sleeper and he heard the changing of the guard every night without fail. The second reason was that it would keep Suzaku from being kept up again by the rest of the Royal Guards. Lelouch gritted his teeth, he was tempted to punish the entire group, Suzaku included, just to teach them a lesson. That wouldn't solve anything in the end, they would still take out their anger on Suzaku. But keeping him close would just show that he was a favorite, which was just as bad.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he trudged back to his room. There was no way to rectify the situation, not after his impetuous decision to ask Suzaku to join the Royal Guard. Still, he did need at least one of them to care more for his safety than their social position. And, with Suzaku being an Eleven, there was nothing he could do that wouldn't insult the loyal Britannians that served him.

Lelouch opened the door to his room before Suzaku could get to it, catching the split-second look of surprise on the guard's face as he strode in. He ignored Suzaku, glancing at the wide couch that took up one wall of his room. As a temporary solution, he would keep Suzaku in his room. Tomorrow, he would ask Jeremiah if Suzaku could share his quarters. Or, better yet, Suzaku could stay with the A.S.E.E.C. That way, he wouldn't be showing that he favored Suzaku, and it would be the better placement. Still, that would mean that Suzaku would be away from him.

He shook his head, grumbling under his breath as he stormed over to his bed, pulling off one of the blankets and a pillow and throwing them in the general direction of the couch. They didn't get too far, but it was enough to prove his point. He glanced at Suzaku before gesturing at the couch, walking over to his closet. "Go on."

"W-what?"

He turned back around, his hand still raised to start unbuttoning his collar. Lelouch raised an eyebrow at the blush on Suzaku's cheeks, forcing himself not to laugh as he turned around again. Part of him hoped that Suzaku hadn't noticed the faint blush on his own cheeks as the tried to ignore the guard.

Lelouch cleared his throat, busying himself with looking for his pajamas instead of looking back at Suzaku. "Putting you with the other guards was an obvious mistake. I should have seen that they would take exception to you."

"Your majesty?"

"To put it so you'll understand." Lelouch turned around, casually leaning against the nearest wall. "You're sleeping here so what happened last night won't happen again." He smirked as he saw Suzaku's hand reach up towards the bruise on his face, the guard snapping it back down the next minute. "Don't bother, I've already seen it."

That caused Suzaku to blush again, Lelouch shaking his head. "It wasn't very well hidden in the A.S.E.E.C. hangar this afternoon."

"It's not from that, your majesty. I just ran into someone."

"You're not supposed to lie to your emperor." Lelouch sighed, reaching down to take off his shirt only to stop, his fingers brushing the hem before he pulled them away. Aside from the hidden zippers that he had yet to undo, Suzaku was in the room. He turned to stare at the guard, swallowing. That was another problem that he had not considered, undressing in the presence of who he considered a handsome man. Lelouch cleared his throat before rocking back on his heels. "Try again."

"It's not something to be worried about."

"Now. But what about the time that they kill you?" He watched as Suzaku's eyes widened, realizing that the possibility had never crossed Suzaku's mind. Lelouch groaned and shook his head. "Idiot."

He turned around, forcing himself to push the thought that Suzaku was still in his room as he undid the zippers on his clothes, peeling the ornate shirt over his head before slipping the tops of his pajamas on. Feeling his face heat under Suzaku's astonished stare, Lelouch quickly stripped out of his pants, pulling on his pajamas before taking a deep breath, trying to force his blush away before turning around to look at Suzaku.

Lelouch stopped short at the blush that covered the guard's face, just barely stopping short of having his mouth fall open in shock. He never would have thought that Suzaku had the capacity to look cute; deadly serious, yes, but never cute. Lelouch swallowed and looked away, feeling the blush creep back onto his face, muttering a curse. He had never anticipated this, although he should have. Where had all his tactical genius gone when he had stepped into the room and why did he have a feeling that he could lay all of that blame at Suzaku's feet?

When Suzaku didn't move, he shot the guard a glare, storming back over to his bed and flopping down on it. "Fine, do what you want. Get yourself killed."

"Yes, your majesty." Lelouch shot up in bed, staring at Suzaku as he bowed before walking back to the door. This time his mouth did fall open. This idiot was willing to just walk back to the people that were abusing him just because he thought that it was right? Did he have a death wish?

Lelouch jumped when the lights in his room went out, staring in the direction of his door as he waited for it to open, surprised when he saw a shadow moving across the room to where the pillow and blanket had been thrown to the floor. He pushed himself up so that he was leaning on the headboard, watching as Suzaku gathered up the things that he had carelessly thrown to the floor and carried them over to the couch. There was a faint rustling as Suzaku set them down, Lelouch watching as the guard removed his boots. He had to look away in the next moment at the rustle of clothing being removed, deciding to flop down onto the bed.

He pulled the covers up to his shoulder, pressing his head against the pillow to try and stop the soft sound of clothes being removed from reaching him. It was not what he wanted to imagine, especially with Suzaku in the same room as him. Lelouch took a deep breath and held it for a while, letting it out slowly when he heard Suzaku settling down onto the couch. He released the last of the breath in a sigh, shifting to find a comfortable spot.

It seemed that Suzaku was waiting for that moment, the guard speaking up as soon as Lelouch stopped moving. "May I ask a question, your highness?"

"Yes. I'm not exactly in the mood to spring out of bed and hack your head off."

He was surprised at the chuckle that came from the guard, Suzaku sobering up a moment later. "Why do you care?"

Lelouch was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm an Eleven, your majesty. I'm just a Number."

"You're not." The words were out before he could stop himself, Lelouch sighing and sitting up in bed, rubbing his forehead. "Forget it."

"Of course, your majesty."

"You're just in here because I don't need you at my door keeping me up all night and I need my one competent member of the Royal Guard kept alive."

"I appreciate your concern and I'm grateful for your kindness."

Lelouch bit his lip, barely keeping himself from getting up and storming over to Suzaku and hitting him over the head. Part of him doubted that he would have landed the hit. He just flopped back onto the bed and pointedly rolled onto his side so he was facing away from the guard, muttering under his breath. "Idiot."


	6. Chapter 6

** Chapter Six **

_August 15, 2017_

The couch wasn't the most comfortable thing that Suzaku had ever slept on, but it was better than some of the streets that he had slept on for the short period when he had been homeless and certainly better than sleeping in the barracks, waiting for the rest of the Royal Guard to jump him in the night. But, on the other hand, the couch was the reason that he didn't dare to return to the barracks, certain that he would get attacked for being in the emperor's favor or because they all thought that he was easy. Still, it wasn't a bad thing, it kept him away from the other men in the Royal Guard and kept him close to the emperor, which was right where he needed to be, at least while the time machine was being repaired.

Then again, the couch was doing something to his back because he kept waking up sore.

Suzaku grumbled sleepily to himself and shifted, pulling the covers over his head in an attempt to block the light that was coming in through the windows. He thought he heard an answering complaint from where Lelouch slept, tensing for a moment before allowing himself to relax. From what he could hear, Lelouch was safe and probably planning to sleep well into the afternoon. The emperor had been up late last night working in his study and Suzaku had been up with him, standing right inside the door and staring at the wall, trying to stave off boredom. It was a small boon that he was getting better at that, at least.

He kept himself awake for a few moment more, listening to Lelouch settling down again before allowing himself to slip away again. It was one of the benefits of being a light sleeper and used to getting up in the mornings and having to function nearly instantly, he could guard Lelouch while remaining somewhat alert. Then again, he was sure that Jeremiah was still lurking somewhere close by, fulfilling his role as the loyal family retainer. Suzaku frowned at that, pressing his face harder against the pillow. He was sure that he remembered Jeremiah from history, but he couldn't quite place the name with any event.

Suzaku was about to shrug the vague feeling that he was forgetting something when the door to Lelouch's room slid open. He tumbled out of his bed, reaching for something to defend the emperor with only to come up with nothing. Suzaku landed on the floor, already scrambling to get to his feet. Behind him he could hear Lelouch sitting up, putting himself between himself and the emperor, knowing how ridiculous he looked in just his boxers.

Jeremiah stared at him for a moment, raising an eyebrow before turning and bowing to Lelouch, Suzaku relaxing his stance a bit. He took a step back, allowing Jeremiah to walk to where Lelouch was sliding out of bed, collecting his uniform and moving slightly behind the couch and hurriedly changing into it. He was going to have to talk to Lelouch about his pay and benefits for this job, aside from the clean uniforms that kept turning up for him. He had been able to sneak some time in the barrack showers a couple of times, but he couldn't just live in this partial limbo of waiting.

"My lord, we've just received news of the Black Knights moving." Suzaku looked up abruptly at that, frowning as he tried to remember the date. The next biggest event to his knowledge wasn't coming up for another five days, and he was still trying to figure out how he would keep the emperor safe in a battle where he had just seen the pictures of the decisive moves. Just waiting until he recognized the formations would be useless, it would be too late to maneuver out of the way when that happened.

"Where?"

Suzaku turned his head to look at Jeremiah and Lelouch. Jeremiah shot him another look, Suzaku tensing at that. Of course Jeremiah would doubt his usefulness when it came to a time like this, Suzaku was Japanese after all. He met Jeremiah's gaze, waiting until the man turned his focus back to Lelouch.

"Saitama ghetto."

Suzaku frowned as Lelouch threw the covers off of the bed, the two speaking in low voices that he couldn't catch. He walked back around to the front of the couch, pulling on his boots before fixing up the blanket, folding it and placing it back on the couch.

"Kururugi." He looked up at the sound of his name being called, striding over to where Lelouch was waiting and bowing. Suzaku blinked when Lelouch's hand brushed over the top of his head, risking a quick look up at the emperor before dropping his gaze. "Give this message to the A.S.E.E.C. Tell them to head out to Saitama and bring the Lancelot."

"Yes, your highness."

"You will then prepare to join us in battle." Lelouch turned away from him, Suzaku remaining in his bow as Lelouch addressed Jeremiah. "Numbers?"

"Not many, my lord. They're obviously just waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?" Suzaku felt Lelouch's gaze drift back over to him. "A final attempt to win back their country? I thought that they would be smarter than that."

Lelouch walked away, Suzaku carefully getting to his feet as soon as the emperor had left the room. He tipped his head to the side before looking at Jeremiah, noticing that the man looked worried. Suzaku cleared his throat, carefully straightening his uniform. "It seems strange."

"Yes." Jeremiah turned and placed a hand on his shoulder, Suzaku feeling it tighten dangerously on his shoulder before the man let go. "Watch him."

"I will."

Jeremiah nodded and walked out of the room, leaving Suzaku alone. He glanced back to where Lelouch had disappeared before turning and walking out of the room. He would watch Lelouch carefully when they finally got into battle, but he had orders from the emperor that he couldn't disobey. He walked quickly through the administrative building, heading for the A.S.E.E.C hangar. He ignored the glares that were thrown his way by the members of the Britannian military that were out near the hangar, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead, so much so that he missed seeing the people coming up beside him.

He felt his foot hit something before he was sprawling on the ground, flinching as he cheek scraped against the ground before he picked himself up. Suzaku glanced over at the two men who were glaring at them, recognizing the Royal Guard uniform and groaning. Of course they would get to him now. Suzaku sighed and wiped off his palms on his pants before taking a step forward, he couldn't afford to waste time.

A hand grabbed onto his shoulder, Suzaku spun around to face the other two men. He narrowed his eyes and yanked his shoulder out of their grasp. "I'm on important business from the emperor."

"Of course you are, Eleven. And I'm the emperor's cousin." Suzaku dodged away from the blow that was aimed his way, his eyes widening as he realized his mistake. Moving would just encourage them more. They were already glaring at him, stepping forward threateningly and forcing Suzaku to retreat. "And you can't get out of this by slipping back into the emperor's bed."

Suzaku shook his head, taking another step back. Of course that would be what they were thinking, especially with Lelouch keeping him close, and he couldn't have been the only one noticing the glances that Lelouch threw his way when the emperor thought that no one looking. He swallowed and turned slightly. "I…I have orders."

"Embarrassed, Eleven?" One of the men laughed, nudging the other. "He's embarrassed. Didn't think you would enjoy it?"

Suzaku opened his mouth to respond, snapping it shut in the next moment. The best thing to do would be to walk away and ignore their taunting, it would get worse in the end but he would get out safely. Besides, Lelouch was depending on him, and he didn't want to risk the emperor's anger, the consequences would be worse for him. He ducked his head, clenching one hand before forcing himself to turn around and walk away. When the first barks of laughter drifted towards him, Suzaku just squared his shoulders and kept walking.

"Hey, come back Eleven. I didn't give you permission to leave!"

Suzaku bit back his response, he didn't have the right to talk back here, but they didn't have the authority to call him back. He was well within his rights to ignore their social status and carry on as the emperor had ordered. He would just have to watch out for the Royal Guard now, that move may have made them all his enemies and, from now on, they might not be satisfied with just beating him. His hands clenched into fists, Suzaku ducking his head. This was putting him right in a place that he didn't want to be, close to the emperor.

The only part that had worked out according to his plan was the retrieval of the time machine, Suzaku heaving a sigh and opening the door to the hangar and shuffling in. He glanced up as he saw someone run past him, turning to press himself against the wall.

"Suzaku!" He turned as Cecile called his name, nodding before jogging out into the main bay of the hangar, surprised to see that the Lancelot was standing at the ready. "We got the orders."

"R-right." He nodded and sprinted for the makeshift locker rooms, carelessly stripping out of his uniform and pulling on the flight suit, reaching out to pull the key from where it was hanging. Suzaku glanced at the crumpled pile of clothing, swallowing nervously before zipping up the suit, wasting a moment to fold the clothes carefully. This was who he was now, a loyal servant of the emperor, if not the Britannian empire in an attempt to keep himself alive. There was no room for the hatred that he felt for the empire, if he felt hatred for it at all. Suzaku reached out to trace over the gold fabric on the edge of the collar of his guard uniform before shutting the locker, leaving it unlocked as he turned and walked back to the main room.

He was handed an incom by one of the interns that was constantly running around, automatically settling it into place. The door at one end of the hangar was being opened, the carrier that would take the Knightmare to the ghetto already being maneuvered inside. Suzaku spared it a glance before climbing up the scaffold to slip directly into the cockpit, the chair sliding in smoothly. He fumbled with the key for a moment before sliding it into place.

The Lancelot hummed to life, Suzaku glancing around the cockpit as the systems ran their checks, watching the screen go dark before display lit up again, displaying the Britannian flag and the words 'Marching Ever Onward To Tomorrow' before he was allowed a view of the room. He flipped the Factspheres open, letting them can the room to double check that they were working before focusing on Lloyd, the scientist waving from the floor to get his attention. It was only when Suzaku rotated the Knightmare to face Lloyd that the scientist spoke into the incom. "Think you can get the Lancelot into the trailer."

Suzaku glanced at the truck, watching as the back portion of it was rolled up, revealing a space where the Knightmare could be stored in a crouch. He nodded, quickly remembering that Lloyd couldn't see him. "Yes."

"Good." Lloyd gave him a thumbs up before jogging across the room to get to the carrier, Cecile already waiting for him there.

Suzaku took a deep breath, easing the Knightmare away from the scaffold and out into the open. He stared at the trailer, watching as a few of the other members of the A.S.E.E.C lowered the ramp for him before rushing out of the way. He waited until the last of them were on the edges of the room, glancing at the time machine one more time before pushing it out of his thoughts. He should be worrying about the fight that was waiting for him at the ghetto, not the time machine; it would be safe enough here.

He sent the Lancelot forward, setting it up at the end of the ramp before turning the Knightmare around and backing it slowly into the carrier, listening to Lloyd's encouragement through the incom. As soon as it was settled into place, Suzaku made the machine crouch down, shutting it down as soon as he heard the sound of the back of the carrier closing. Suzaku waited until he heard it crash down in front of him before clambering out of the Knightmare, riding the tow rope down to the floor and checking to see that the Lancelot was secure, although he doubted that it would roll around much.

His job complete, Suzaku made his way over to the small door that led to the cabin of the carrier, having to lunge for it and hold on as the truck was started and pulled out of the hangar. He gritted his teeth and stumbled the rest of the way into the cabin, flopping down onto a seat, listening to Cecile scold Lloyd as she steering the truck out onto the highway, joining the line of carriers.

Lloyd ignored her complaints completely, turning to face Suzaku with a smile. "You've heard about the new weapons."

"Miss. Cecile told me about them the day we ran those simulations." Suzaku frowned as he tried to remember their exact names, he could just remember that there were two swords and a rifle that he could use. "She also said that they shouldn't cause any sync problems."

"Of course not. Why would I design faulty parts?" Lloyd looked insulted for a moment, huffing and staring out of the window before turning back to look at Suzaku, the smile back on his face. "You can make it up to me by telling me who built that time machine."

"Lloyd!"

"Still doubting Cecile?" Suzaku glanced up at the woman, watching as her hands clenched on the steering wheel, trying to smother his smile at the sight of the two of them arguing. "You're the one who was poking about in the Yggdrasil Drive. You saw what it was connected to."

"A…A bunch of wires with no purpose."

"Non-believer." Lloyd turned away, obviously bored with Cecile's repeated attempts to prove him wrong. "Now, who invented that beautiful machine?"

"I thought you didn't want to know about the future."

"Just this once?"

Suzaku stared at Lloyd, trying to decide if he was trying to stare him down or looking at him, not sure if either was right. He cleared his throat and turned his head to look out of the window, staring at the Tokyo Settlement. "You did."

"Good." He turned to stare at Lloyd as the scientist flopped back in his seat. "I beat Rakshata again. Now how did you get it?"

"You said just this once!"

"It's an add on. Did you steal it?" Suzaku leaned back as Lloyd leaned forward to peer at him. The scientist tilted his head to the side, still smiling despite the seriousness of the question. "The Lancelot does make a very pretty car."

"N-no!" Suzaku blushed, looking down at the floor of the cabin. "You gave it to me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your favorite devicer."

Suzaku thought he had muttered the words low enough that Lloyd wouldn't hear them. Apparently he had underestimated the scientist, surprised when Lloyd pulled him upright and looked at him. "You don't look like Cecile."

The woman in question made a choked sound, turning around to stare at the both of them before looking back at the road, Suzaku blushing the entire time. "'m not hers…exactly."

"Talk. I want to know."

"What about the-"

"My Lancelot is more important than the future. And I want to know who is piloting it." Lloyd blanched. "Don't tell me…Rakshata?"

"No." Suzaku struggled to come up with a way to explain without revealing too much, giving it up as a lost cause a moment later. "I'm not related to either of you…or Rakshata. My mother died from an overdose of Refrain when I was nine. Miss. Cecile...adopted me when I was ten."

He looked up at the soft noise of distress from Cecile. "You were only in an orphanage for a year?"

Suzaku ducked his head, staring at his lap. Of course she would assumed that he came from an orphanage, it's where children were usually adopted from. "I was lucky, I kept my head down and stayed out of trouble. I've met others who…weren't as lucky as I was."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He looked up and smiled at Cecile, watching her glance up at him through the rearview mirror. "I think I turned out alright."

"You did." Suzaku relaxed at the fond smile that Cecile gave him, shocked when she frowned and shook her head the next moment, focusing on the road again. "Not that I believe any of that."

Suzaku slumped at the rejection, trying to tell himself that it was just Cecile's usual reaction. She preferred the sciences of the things that she could see rather than the abstract, that was Lloyd's territory. He swallowed and looked back over at Lloyd, surprised at the almost sympathetic look on the scientist's face before it was wiped away, Lloyd returning to his usual bouncy self.

"Keep my Lancelot in the Royal Guards, will you?" Suzaku turned to look at Lloyd with wide eyes, not quite sure how to take the smile on his face. "If you continue at your level, Lelouch will have no choice but to promote you."

"Lloyd!"

"Emperor, then." He stuck his tongue out at Cecile before settling back. "So don't wreck it."

Suzaku smiled and nodded, glancing ahead and feeling his stomach sink at the sight of Saitama ghetto. Smoke was already rising from the tangled of buildings, Suzaku staring at it and feeling his stomach flip nervously. The last time he had been piloting the Lancelot, the battle had been nearly done, this time he was going in at the beginning. Although, this wouldn't be considered a battle, probably a skirmish. He swallowed, trying to keep from throwing up. He would have to kill his own people today, in the service of an empire that hated him.

Shakily, he stood up from his seat and walked back to where the Lancelot was, feeling Lloyd's eyes on him as he walked away. Suzaku shut the door to the trailer part of the carrier, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor, resting his head against his knees as he tried to calm his traitorous stomach. There was nothing he could think of that could put a different spin on this, he was going to be killing people. He swallowed again, shutting his eyes and letting out a long sigh, the end almost justified the means, a peace that would last ten years before showing signs of being shaky. He had to fight for it now, or there would be nothing worth going back to.

He stood up, having to lean on the wall to keep his balance as the carrier turned. Suzaku stumbled over to the Lancelot, staring up at the Knightmare and feeling the familiar fear that came with the machines. He swallowed, staring at the armor before forcing himself to reach out and touch it, something that he hadn't done since he had found the Lancelot. Suzaku pressed his palms against the cool metal, shivering in disgust before taking a step forward. He was stuck with the Knightmare like he was stuck with the Britannian Empire. He couldn't think of himself in the terms of the future anymore, that Suzaku couldn't exist anymore.

He was Suzaku Kururugi, loyal guard of the emperor and the pilot of the Lancelot. There was nothing else for him to be.

Suzaku glanced over at the tow rope, stepping away from the leg of the Knightmare to walk over to it, wrapping his hand around it and staring up at the cockpit. They would be there in a matter of minutes, then he would have to report to Lelouch. He took a deep breath, steadying himself before stepping into the stirrup feeling the tow rope sag under his weight for a moment before raising itself slowly up to the cockpit.

"Suzaku?"

"Yes?"

"We're pulling into the ghetto now." Cecile hesitated for a moment before clearing her throat. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't have to do this, you know. You're just a student."

"Eighteen years from now."

"I'm not talking about the future; I'm talking about what you are now."

Suzaku hesitated at that, staring at the interior of the Lancelot before sitting down in the seat, closing his eyes as he was pulled into the cockpit of the machine. "Miss. Cecile, right now I'm a soldier."

She didn't respond to him. Suzaku pressed his fingers against the incom, waiting for a moment before letting them drop away. The Lancelot rocked slightly as the carrier came to a stop, Suzaku glancing up as the heard the faint rumble of the back of the carrier opening. He sighed and reached down, starting up the Knightmare. The screens around him flickered to life, Suzaku taking another deep breath to calm himself down before forcing himself to stop thinking. If he wanted to get out of this alive, he had to focus on the battle.

He jumped as Lelouch's face appeared on the screen, turning the motion into a short bow. Suzaku thought he caught a hint of a smile on Lelouch's face before it was transformed into the usual smirk that Lelouch wore. "So the A.S.E.E.C did get here. Care to join us, Kururugi?"

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, your majesty."

His eyes widened for a moment when he heard Lelouch laugh, staring at the screen in shock before sitting back. The emperor recovered himself quickly, still managing to look amused as he stared back at Suzaku. "Then let's not keep me waiting any longer."

The communication line was abruptly shut off, Suzaku staring ahead of him and blushing before shaking his head. He should be used to the way that Lelouch acted around him by now, it had been five days since he had met the emperor. Suzaku gave his head another shake before settling into position, staring at the ghetto that was visible to him. He swallowed before tipping his head to the side. "Miss. Cecile?"

"Of course." She cleared her throat, Suzaku closing his eyes for a moment. "Lancelot unit now launching."

His hands tightened around the joysticks, Suzaku tempted to hesitate for another moment, but then he would lose everything that he had worked for so far. Suzaku opened his eyes and squared his shoulders. "Launch!"

The Lancelot surged forward under his command, Suzaku surprised by how smooth this run felt. He remembered his initial attempt at piloting the Knightmare had been awkward, there had been many times that he had been sure that he would have just crashed if not for his quick reflexes. Now the Lancelot moved smoothly over the roads through the ghetto, Suzaku sitting comfortably in the pilot's seat and constantly watching the screens that relayed him information from his surroundings.

In between buildings he caught glimpses of skirmishes that were going on between Black Knight's members and the Britannian forces, his stomach twisting as he realized that the Black Knights were horribly outnumbered. He bit his lip, glancing down at the display of dots that marked his allies and enemies. Why would they bother to attack such a superior force with so little? Everything that he had read about the Black Knights had made them seem like one of the better resistance forces. He had even met their leader when Kaname Ohgi had come to Ashford, and neither suicidal nor stupid were words that Suzaku would call the man.

His attention was distracted from the puzzle of the Black Knights by a call over the incom, Suzaku checking how close he was getting to the rest of the Royal Guard as the person screamed into his ear. "Where are you, Eleven?"

"Coming in on your left. Give me about a minute."

"We don't have a minute! We're under heavy fire! Damn useless Eleven!"

Suzaku flinched when the transmission broke off with a scream. He glanced down long enough to watch one of the dots flicker out, the word 'lost' flashing over it for a moment before fading. Suzaku bowed his head, gritting his teeth as he glared out at the battle. He should have been stopped by the thought that this was one of the people that had hated him, but all he could think of was the man's family. What person would be missing from his life when he got back home because he hadn't been fast enough here? Everyone that he knew was at risk here.

Even he wasn't safe, he wouldn't be born for another year. His father was somewhere out here, a soldier trying to earn enough money to support him and his wife. Suzaku would have to keep his father safe if he even wanted to survive, if he could find him. And then, he would have to let his father die, just like he would have to let the emperor die, because he had to save Lloyd and Cecile when he returned, not get tangled up in complicated family affairs.

He sent the Lancelot around a collapsing building, getting a glimpse of the Royal Guard clustered around the huge Knightmare Frame that Lelouch was probably in, staring at the enemy Knightmares around them. It was probably the largest group of Black Knights that he had seen, all of them trying to take out the emperor to save themselves. Suzaku stared at the scene and felt something within in snap.

He would have to watch so many people die while he was here; Shirley's father when he was killed at Narita, his own father a year later, civilians that he couldn't save because he hadn't paid attention in school, members of the Royal Guard, the emperor, all of them people that he couldn't save because he didn't want to give up that future of peace. But there was no way that he was letting the Black Knights take that away from him, he didn't want to be the cause of so many deaths and not have some way to atone for it.

Suzaku glanced at the nearest Knightmare Frame, feeling himself smile as he realized what he could do, quickly smothering the expression. He was going to protect the emperor and his future, but he wasn't going to enjoy this, it would make him as bad as some of the Britannians. He nodded to himself, giving all of the screens one final check before jerking the joysticks to one side, sending the Lancelot into the air in a spin.

It was a move that he had spent his early childhood perfecting. He had seen it in a television movie one day and had fallen in love with the move. His whole summer had been spent gathering bruises and scrapes as he attempted the kick over and over again, not stopped even when his mother had told him it was impossible. He had proven her wrong.

The Lancelot managed one rotation, a disappointment after Suzaku had managed three on his own once, before one of the legs connected with the body of an enemy Knightmare and sent it tumbling to the ground. Suzaku didn't bother to wait to see if the ejection system had worked, activating the Blaze Luminous system and raising the shield to guard himself from the barrage of bullets from the other enemies. He used the Slash Harken on the other arm to pick off one of the attackers, glancing at the others that surrounded him. Using the rifle that he had wouldn't do much, especially at such close range, he would only be able to hit one.

Suzaku deactivated the shield, reaching back for one of the swords as he allowed the mechanism that retracted the Slash Harken to pull him forward. He glanced at the screen as he activated the sword, watching the letters MVS flash for a moment before shrugging and slicing through the Knightmare closest to him.

While he was pulling the sword out of one Knightmare, he activated the other, swinging it to block the attack coming from his right, ducking under the Slash Harken fired at him to plunge the first sword into the Knightmare's midsection, drawing it out quickly.

He retreated back to the Royal Guards, glancing around at the other Knightmares remaining. The few that hadn't rushed to engage him were back off, Suzaku narrowing his eyes at that. They weren't exactly retreating, just moving back to give them room or to give something else the room to get to them. He raised his gaze to the rooftops, turning the Lancelot slowly.

There was a flash of red at the corner of his left screen, Suzaku twisting his arm to get the Lancelot's arm to maneuver into place, the shield on the arm blazing to life at the last minute. He sucked in a quick breath as the Slash Harken pinged off the shield. He saw the red Knightmare from Shinjuku skid past him, already getting ready to attack again. His gaze strayed to the right arm of the Knightmare, feeling like something was missing, but he couldn't quite place it. He frowned, adjusting his grip on the joysticks as he moved into a defensive position to cover the emperor's Knightmare.

Whatever was bothering him about that Knightmare would have to wait for now, it was more important that he keep it from getting too close to the emperor, especially with the weapon it was holding in it's left hand. Suzaku tiled his head to the side, using the move for an extra glance to one side before he feinted to the right.

The Knightmare fell for it, charging to the left only to have Suzaku bring up one of the MVS swords and slice partially through the hand that was holding the knife before having to back off. He narrowed his eyes, watching as the red Knightmare darted out of his range. It was fast, about as fast as he was with the Lancelot, but the pilot could just be playing with him at the moment, he couldn't be sure. Suzaku bit his lip, glancing around to try and find something that he could use to his advantage. The strewn rubble might be enough to duck behind for a moment, but nothing more, Suzaku growling under his breath as he followed the wary movements of the red Knightmare.

Why weren't the others helping him? Suzaku almost looked back at the others, only to have the Knightmare slam into him, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground. Partially out of shock, he lashed out at the red Knightmare, trying to get it away from him while firing a Slash Harken into a nearby building to keep himself upright. He grunted as he was slammed into the front of the cockpit, the controls digging into his stomach as Suzaku pushed himself upright, using the Harken to reel himself closer to the building. When he turned, the red Knightmare was still after him.

Suzaku cursed, turning over his shoulder to try and see the enemy when it disappeared into his blind spot, staring at the back of the cockpit and realizing his mistake. "Shit!"

He turned back around, hurriedly spinning the Lancelot around and raising one of the swords to block the attack, holding his ground for a moment before turning the Lancelot to one side, smiling when the left hand was pulled off of the Knightmare. He pulled the Lancelot back a bit, sheathing one of the swords before charging forward, managing to cut into the side of the red Knightmare before it moved away. Suzaku immediately sent the Lancelot after it, weaving through the wreckage of the ghetto.

The chase was cut short as Lelouch appeared on the screen again, Suzaku slowing the Lancelot to a standstill, suddenly aware of how hard he was breathing. He stared at the emperor for a moment before nodding his head in a partial bow. Lelouch continued to stare at him for a moment more before sighing. "You're wasted here, Kururugi."

"W-what?"

"Your orders are to drive them out." The amusement on Lelouch's face disappeared. "Stay close to the others, Kururugi. I don't want to lose you to your idiocy."

Suzaku gritted his teeth, about to snap back when he remembered his place. "Yes, your highness."

* * *

"Britannian air support has been redirected. You're in the clear."

Cornelia looked up blearily at the voice over the radio, looking at the two men that were in the pilot seat of the helicopter that she was in. She sighed and looked down at her hands, preferring to not look down at the ground below her. She just wanted to sleep after almost three days of running across the country.

Thankfully there had been people willing to help her keep going, members of the Chinese Federation who wanted to see Lelouch dead so that their countries would be safe. It seemed that everyone was just waiting to see where Area 19 would appear.

Cornelia rubbed her forehead, ignoring the rumbling of her stomach. Despite the fear of her association with Lelouch, they had gotten her to China in a timely manner, although it meant that she had nearly destroyed her Knightmare Frame getting as far as he could before even bothering to contact someone. Then it had been harrowing cross-country trips, dodging patrols of the Knights of the Round and the boarder guards. Cornelia had yet to sleep since she had woken up on the morning of the attack, the adrenaline keeping her running and the fear of being caught. It wouldn't have been worth the Glaston Knight's and Guilford's death if she had been caught.

Now that she had disappeared off of the radar, Schneizel would be stuck in the EU, unable to raise the support that he needed. And Cornelia had no way of contacting him until she was in Area 11. It chafed her to have to depend on the JLF, but it was the only way to survive and the only way to get her sister back. She would have to hurry if she wanted to get Euphy back alive, Cornelia leaning forward to rest her face in her hands. She had heard of what Lelouch did to his enemies, and seen some of them first hand. Her dreams were filled with the images of her little sister torn to pieces and displayed as an example.

She bit back a sob, hating that she was already on edge. A strategist had to keep a cool head at all times, but she was too exhausted to think straight. It was one of the reasons that she was letting the JLF have control for the moment, it was just easier. Still, she wouldn't be able to eat or sleep until she was sure that she was safe. She wouldn't be any use to Euphy like this.

Cornelia rubbed her hands over her face and sat up, watching as the helicopter pilots banked the machine, catching a glimpse of the mountains before she turned her head away. She would be some distance from where Lelouch and her sister were, but that was the safest thing for her. If Lelouch found out where she was she would be killed like their other siblings. Or worse, he would kill Euphy to get her to come out, she wouldn't put it past him.

She sighed and tilted her head back, staring at the roof of the helicopter, only vaguely paying attention to what the pilots were saying. It was at times like these that she wondered what had happened to Lelouch when he had gone to Area 11, back when it was still Japan, with Nunnally. She knew that he had survived through the invasion, if only just barely. The two children that had stumbled off of the plane that day didn't resemble her half brother and sister in any way, they had just looked like sacks of bones. And Lelouch, the one in their family who had always been the closest to Nunnally had suddenly abandoned her for four years to wait on their father's every whim.

It had probably been a way to make sure that he was the closest to the emperor and wait for the right moment to strike.

Still, it was Area 11 that had changed Lelouch and made him into this. It was fitting that Area 11 would be the place that he was crushed completely. There was no other option for them. Schneizel would never get the support that they needed from the EU if Area 11 fell, and they would never be able to stop Lelouch. The EU and the Chinese Federation wouldn't band together against him, they would try to ally themselves with him and turn on the other, hoping that they would have gotten the chance to turn on Lelouch to save themselves, but Lelouch was too smart for that. He and Schneizel had the same kind of genius, and she had once thought that Schneizel was the more ruthless of the two, but then Lelouch had changed.

She would have to speak to Schneizel about how to proceed, just to be sure that she had all the angles covered. This was too important to mess up, there was too much on the line, there was Euphy on the line.

"Your Highness?" She looked up at the voice that came in over the headphones. "We've got the clearance for landing. It'll be a walk to the base…blindfolded."

"Blindfolded?"

"We're not sure if we can trust you…You're a Britannian princess."

Cornelia glared at him but kept silent, there was a time and place for complaints and this was not one of them. These were the people who had helped her escape and were housing her for the time being. They were using each other and they both knew it, this deal would be off as soon as Lelouch wasn't a threat. She pursed her lips and nodded. "How rough is the terrain?"

"Gets rough close to the top. You up for it?"

"Promise me good food and a good night's sleep."

"I'm sure that they'll agree to that."

Cornelia nodded, turning her gaze back over to the window, watching the trees gave way to empty ground. She leaned closer to the window, watching as people waved them down, giving he sky a long look for Knightmares. Just because the Rounds had float units didn't mean that Lelouch had equipped all of his Knightmares with it, but there was an equal chance that he had.

When her search of the sky revealed nothing, she relaxed, shifting to hold onto the bar above her head as the helicopter settled down. The thrum of the engine drowned out what the men were shouting, Cornelia sure that she wouldn't be able to understand them anyway, they were probably speaking their native language. She made a face, quickly smoothing out her features as someone ducked through the door, motioning for her to come out.

She hesitated for a moment before peeling off the headphones and ducking out of the door. She remained bent over, running out from underneath the helicopter, straightening up as soon as she was out of harm's way. There was a man waiting near the tree line, Cornelia tensing at the bow that he gave her, not sure if he was mocking her.

Cornelia walked the remaining distance to the man, staring at him as he straightened up. "Princess Cornelia, I am General Katase. Welcome to the JLF."

She gave him a nod, glancing back at the helicopter. "I suppose you'd like to discuss the plans."

Katase raised a hand, glancing at her before smiling. "I believe that can wait. I have people to recover and you look like you could drop at any moment. Come."

Cornelia went to walk forward, tensing as a hand grabbed her shoulder. She barely stopped herself from turning around and pulling the hand off. She had agreed to the blindfold, just to humor her allies. She gritted her teeth, allowing the cloth to be tied around her head before someone slipped their arm through hers.

She tensed, relaxing slowly as she recognized Katase's voice, allowing him to lead her away from the helicopter. "Once you are rested we will begin to speak about our plans. There's no need to rush."

"There is every need to rush."

"Not if it will make a mistake." She heard him sigh. "And the emperor won't be rushed into combat so easily, not when he knows that he will lose."

"That sounds like Lelouch." Cornelia heard him chuckle, frowning at that. If these people knew Lelouch so well, why hadn't they manipulated events to work in their favor? She narrowed her eyes behind the blindfold. Where were the other resistance groups that she had heard about? Why was this the only one left? She would have to talk to Schneizel as soon as possible, and alone if she could manage it.

* * *

Kallen watched the Britannian Knightmares from her hiding spot, her hands closed tightly around the controls. It was a slaughter out there, just like she had predicted. The Black Knights were nothing more than a meat shield, all of them worth the price of one spoiled Britannian princess. Kallen cursed, reaching up to push her headband back up.

Ohgi had said that the JLF would call them out when they had secured Cornelia, but that call hadn't come. And, if the JLF wanted to make good on their promise, which was something that Kallen seriously doubted, they would call them back before the Black Knights had been completely destroyed. Still, their little group had lasted an hour, much longer than she thought they would have, especially with that white Knightmare out on the field.

As much as she hated the pilot for what he was doing, she had to admire him for the skills with which he handled the machine. Few pilots she had seen could actually manage the things that the white Knightmare's pilot had pulled off. If there was some way to get the pilot to their side… But that was a foolish hope anyway, they wouldn't allow Japanese to pilot their precious war machines.

She sighed and tapped a button on the controls, waiting for the communication line to connect. "Ohgi?"

"Kallen, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She glanced towards the Guren's damaged arm. "The Guren is in bad shape though."

"How bad?"

"I have a Slash Harken, and that's it." She rubbed a hand over her face, cursing the fact that they had lost India's support so early on in the game. The Chinese Federation had made sure that the emperor could connect nothing to them, shutting down trade completely with Japan and blocking all weapons that weren't on Britannian ships from coming in. A few things still managed to get in, but it wasn't enough to keep their resistance group well supplied, and most of it went to the JLF. The Guren had been needing replacements for its two missing Slash Harkens for months now. "It's that damn white Knightmare."

"White Knightmare?"

"Some new type, because I've only seen it once before, at Shinjuku."

"Ah. Anything we can use."

"Definitely. If you can get the pilot." Kallen laughed. "Ohgi, whoever is piloting that thing is amazing. They managed to match me, on their own."

"Impressive."

"If they weren't Britannian, I'd try and grab them."

"Too bad then."

Kallen nodded, not caring that he couldn't see her. She checked on the battle, watching as the dots that signified the Britannians continued to encircle them. "Ohgi, we've got to pull out."

"But the JLF…"

"We've held as long as we can. The emperor isn't going to look our way again. And they're close to surrounding us."

She heard Ohgi sigh, letting her chin drop to her chest. She had wanted to win this as much as he had, not only to make the Britannians back off, but to restore the pride of the Black Knights, and they had accomplished neither. It would be better to leave before they lost all of their members, there were too many with families still out there. Relocation to the JLF was their best hope now. "Ohgi…"

"I know. I'll transmit the order. You coming?"

"You won't get me out of the Guren until we can call ourselves Japanese again. I promise you that."

"I'll bring you food then."

Kallen stuck her tongue out at him, knowing that he couldn't see it. She shook her head before clearing her throat. "Where are we meeting?"

"Outside of the Tokyo Settlement. I'll contact the JLF there and get the coordinates for their headquarters." Ohgi hesitated for a moment before giving a long sigh. "It's almost over."

"Maybe."

"I'll see you later, Kallen."

She shut off the link, glancing back up at the battle, wincing as another Knightmare Frame exploded close to her. To her, this didn't look like a battle that was almost over, it looked like a slaughter about to start. Unless the JLF had something good planned, Lelouch would continue to push them aside.

Kallen grumbled to herself, sending the Guren out of its hiding spot and into the subway tunnels. She had made sure that she had hidden close to the escape routes, her one Slash Harken didn't make much of a weapon and she wasn't too eager to meet that white Knightmare again. She guided the Guren carefully through the tunnels, scrolling through the channels to see if she could get any information from the rest of the remaining Black Knights, hearing reports and stories of the white Knightmare.

She sighed and switched back to the main channel, listening to Ohgi relaying instructions through to them, sometimes calling out encouragement to the few that were lagging behind. She remained on the line as long as she could before they shut down all communications, trying to keep the Britannians from following them. Kallen frowned as the line went silent, staring at the dark tunnel ahead of them.

Fleeing was almost as bad as losing Japan in the first place, they were just giving up their country again, all because the JLF hadn't managed to get a solid plan into place that they could use. They had just tried to save themselves by keeping out of all the action, even to the point where the Six Houses of Kyoto had fallen to the Britannians. She had watched the execution on television, even of the young girl that had been with him. And the emperor had just stood there. Her hands trembled for a moment before she tightened them on the joysticks. He had just stood there and watched her cry as the six elders had been gunned down, given her the time to realize what was happening before ordering the trigger to be pulled.

She reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, mumbling curses to herself. As long as she was alive, there would be no more slaughter of her people, they had suffered enough.

* * *

Suzaku was far too good to be kept in the Royal Guards. Lelouch raised his gaze from his desk to glance at the young man standing by the door. Suzaku's sync rate alone should have secured him a knighthood if not a spot in the Knights of the Round. That aside, his skills in battle were extraordinary, far better that the first time Lelouch had seen him. It was a pity that he was an Eleven.

Lelouch stopped his lazy twirling of his pen, tapping the end against his desk. That's where he always ran into the problem, he couldn't promote Suzaku, not when he was actively engaged in putting down the resistance forces; it would be a contradiction. He wanted the people to know that they were always lower than the Britannians, Lelouch barely flinching at the thought now. He had almost trained himself to believe it, and that was the important part. As long as he was remembered as a hated tyrant, his job had been done.

But that didn't stop him from doing things in private. Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that thought, tapping the pen against the desk one more time before stopping, watching as Suzaku turned to look at him in the absence of the sound. Jeremiah was already busy making sure that both Nunnally and Euphemia were safe, that's why Lelouch had relied on the Knights of the Round thus far to guard him. Now he had the golden opportunity to have his own personal guard. It would only be fair seeing as Suzaku was in his presence when Lloyd did not demand him. And it would be a fairly simple thing to do, just inform Suzaku and Jeremiah of the change and leave it at that, no Britannians or Elevens had to know. It wasn't like he was knighting the Eleven.

He smiled to himself, standing up and stretching. He had sat here long enough without getting anything done, it was time to see if he could distract himself with something before returning to work. Then again, he had solved the problem of what to do with Suzaku, that was something at least. Lelouch sighed and glanced down at the papers on his desk. He would have to bring Euphemia in here sometime to go over his plans for her, but that could wait for a while. Lelouch shot another glance at Suzaku, tipping his head to the side. Perhaps he could have Suzaku be the one to 'assassinate' him, it would be very fitting.

Lelouch barely stopped himself from chuckling, straightening up as he heard the door to his study slide open, watching as Suzaku moved from his place by the wall. For a moment, Suzaku blocked his view before the guard stepped out of the way. Lelouch stared at Jeremiah before taking a step forward, reaching out to push Suzaku aside a bit further.

Jeremiah bowed to him, not meeting his gaze. Lelouch felt his stomach drop at that, taking a step forward only to wobble. He barely felt Suzaku reach out to steady him by his elbow, staring at Jeremiah. "What happened? Is Nunnally alright?"

"Nunnally?" Jeremiah looked confused for a moment before shaking his head. "Nunnally is fine."

Lelouch let out the breath that he was holding, feeling Suzaku brush against him. He pushed the guard away, stepping forward again. Jeremiah remained kneeling on the ground, another sign that this wasn't good new. "What is it?"

"The attack today was a distraction. An unidentified aircraft managed to get through while our forces were in Saitama."

Lelouch stared at him before cursing, turning around to storm back over to his desk. "Cornelia!"

"It's very likely."

"Then the JLF have her." He leaned over his desk, his hands clutching the edges until his knuckles turned white. "They set up a trap and I fell for it!"

He raised a hand to send the papers scattering on the floor, only to have his hand caught. Lelouch turned to glare at Suzaku, taking a step back and pulling his wrist from the guard's grip. He waited until Suzaku had looked away. Assured that his guard was reminded of his place, Lelouch turned back to his desk, staring at the map of Area 11. They had to be in Area 11 somewhere, he had to find them before Cornelia had time to work out a plan. With everything that the JLF had, she would be able to contact Schneizel and the two of them would work out a plan that could defeat him and shatter him completely.

He would have to get Nunnally and Euphemia out of Area 11, and probably remove half of his forces here to keep them safe, including Jeremiah. Even then they wouldn't be safe, Schneizel could have resources that he didn't know about, simply because Schneizel couldn't be found by any of his spies and the EU wouldn't give him up, not until they decided how they could use him. But he wouldn't risk his sisters by keeping them close, not knowing that Schneizel wouldn't hesitate to use them or kill them.

Once that was done he would have to work out a new strategy around his depleted forces. Maybe he would keep half of the Knights of the Round here, just to keep his advantage. The Knights of the Round and Suzaku. But that advantage meant nothing if he was just scrambling around and trying to cut them off. Lelouch rubbed his forehead, flopping down into his seat and pushing it away from the desk, folding his hands together. He could outthink Cornelia, but never Schneizel. He could attempt to match Schneizel, but never outmaneuver Cornelia. He was well and truly stuck.

"Narita." He jerked his head up to stare at Suzaku, watching the guard step forward to look down at the map. Suzaku reached out to brush a finger over the map, tracing a line from the Tokyo Settlement to one of the mountains.

Lelouch stood up, glancing at Suzaku before looking down at the map, reading the name printed in a small font over the mountain. His stomach turned as he stared at the mountain, his mouth dropping open. Suzaku was pointing straight at Narita, he had pointed unerringly at Narita.

Suzaku tapped the spot once more before looking up at Lelouch. "They're at Narita."

Lelouch managed to swallow, staring at Suzaku. "How?"

"I-I just know."

"How?"

"I can't tell you, your highness."

Lelouch ran out of patience, turning and shoving Suzaku back. The young man only stumbled backwards because he was surprised, Lelouch following him and backing him into the wall. He reached out and wrapped a hand around Suzaku's neck, staring right into the guard's green eyes. "How do you know where they are? Are you one of them?"

Suzaku stared at him for a moment before tilting his head back, exposing more of his neck to Lelouch. He hesitated at the move, staring at Suzaku before tightening his fingers threateningly. He felt Suzaku swallow, the guard continuing to stare at the ceiling instead of looking at him. Lelouch tightened his fingers again when he heard Suzaku laugh. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Lelouch found himself unable to speak for the first time in a long time, trembling as he debated between trying to strangle Suzaku now to allowing Jeremiah to take control of the situation. He was leaning heavily towards the first solution, it would be satisfying to wring the traitorous guard that he had let into his confident, that his body had the gall to find attractive.

Suzaku glanced back at him, meeting his gaze for a spilt second before looking up at the ceiling again. "I would never do anything to harm Princess Nunnally or Princess Euphemia. You have my word."

He laughed, watching Suzaku flinch at the sound. The young man tensed for a moment before relaxing, Lelouch almost letting go in surprise. "I will serve his majesty until my last breath."

Lelouch let go of Suzaku's throat, stepping away from him. His eyes widened in surprise as Suzaku slid into a bow, the motion still clumsy. Lelouch took another step back from the kneeling guard, his eyes narrowing. On the one hand, Suzaku knew where the JLF had their headquarters, that was enough to have him killed. On the other, he had given up the location of his own free will. And there had been plenty of times that Suzaku could have turned on him. He could have been killed in his sleep at least twice now, but he hadn't. That didn't mean that Suzaku wasn't going to betray him in the future. The JLF could be hiding out somewhere other than Narita, although Suzaku's honesty in the matter was leading him to believe that Narita really was where the JLF was hiding.

He glared at the kneeling guard before shaking his head, pointing to the door. "Get out."

"Yes, your highness."

Suzaku stood up carefully from his bow and walked out of the room, Lelouch staring at his back until his view was blocked by the door shutting. Only then did he realize how badly he was trembling. Maybe Euphemia had hit on something when she said that he needed to relax. This wouldn't have happened if he had just ignored his urges, something that he had been doing successfully for a long while.

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stop shaking before turning around to glare at Jeremiah. "Have them investigate the area around Narita, make sure it's subtle, I don't want them to figure out that I know about them." Jeremiah bowed, Lelouch feeling a bit nauseous at the gesture. It reminded him too much of Suzaku. He had been threatening the guard and he had still bowed. He cleared his throat, hastily motioning for Jeremiah to stand again. "And I want you to look into who Suzaku Kururugi really is."

"Of course, my lord." Jeremiah walked past him, heading for the door. "I'll have the report on your desk in an hour."

"Hour?"

Jeremiah smiled at him. "Did you expect anything less from me? I look into the backgrounds of all the Royal Guards. I wouldn't have let him close to you if he were dangerous."

The door slid shut behind Jeremiah, Lelouch staring after him before blindly groping for his seat. He sank into the chair, lowering his gaze to the map of Area 11 to try and distract himself. Until he found out if what Suzaku said was the truth, it wouldn't hurt to plan an assault on Narita. Lelouch leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. The only thing would be pinpointing the exact location of the headquarters, they would be wasting their energy otherwise.

He growled to himself, suddenly wishing that he was back in his room with his chessboard. He always through better if he had chess pieces to move about; things always made more sense then. It was simple, a pawn moved to stop an advance, a knight moved to take a king. Of course, real battles didn't work like that, he had learned that early on; but it was easier for him to strategize like this.

Lelouch frowned and reached for his pen, rolling it around in his hand like he would the black king. He could possibly return to his room and get his chess set, but Suzaku would be there. Lelouch clenched his hand around the pen. He had dismissed Suzaku, and his previous orders had Suzaku stationed in his room, unless the Eleven was stupid enough to return to the barracks. Lelouch dropped the pen on the table and leaned forward to rubbed his forehead, trying to push the headache that was forming away.

This was probably proof that he needed the day off, something that he could afford now. All of his resources should be focused on pinning Cornelia and the JLF down, but he was sure that he could spend a few hours with Nunnally. After all, the emperor became useless as soon as all of his forces were employed; he was too precious to be risked. That was another thing that was different from chess, in chess the king could always move forward.

Lelouch glanced down at his pen and pushed it away from the map, returning his gaze to the map. In spite of everything he felt like smiling. He knew exactly where his enemies were, and it was only a matter of time before he was ready to crush them completely.


	7. Chapter 7

** Chapter Seven **

_August 16, 2017_

Cornelia blinked blearily at the screen, trying to focus on her brother's face. It felt like she had just fallen into the cot that she had been assigned before someone was shaking her awake. She shook her head and attempted to look more awake. She couldn't be seen as weak, Schneizel would take over the operations, and he wouldn't care about getting Euphy back, just taking Lelouch off the throne.

"Cornelia." He smiled at her, the expression not wavering even as he took in her mused state. "I see that you have arrived safely. Was it a hard journey?" Cornelia glared at him for an answer, Schneizel just chuckling and leaning back. "I see. But you made it in one piece. And the JLF-"

"They'll work with us. They want Lelouch out of here. I'm sure that we'll be pushed out afterwards." Cornelia paused for a moment, considering her wording carefully. "We may lose Area 11 after this."

"Lose? We'll give them back their country." Schneizel waved his arm, obviously staring at the back of the room. Cornelia turned around, narrowing her eyes as she scanned the room for any equipment that the JLF could be using to listen in on them. There didn't seem to be anything in the room, Cornelia ready to ask Guilford to do a more through check when she remembered, her mouth snapping shut before she turned back to the screen.

Oblivious to her line of thought, Schneizel continued to smile at her. "They don't have the funds to bug their own room, they would focus more on freeing their country, which we will give back to them."

"Schneizel-"

"We'll leave without a struggle and let them govern themselves until they discover that they have become used to certain products that the Britannians alone can supply them with. That and the initial instability of their government will be more than enough to keep them occupied when we come back in to take over again. And this time, they'll welcome us."

She stared at him, watching him shift in his seat and feeling her stomach drop. Schneizel was so much like Lelouch, calculating in terms of countries but never in terms of people. As a field commander, people were all she had to work with, the only thing she knew how to work with. She could get by in complex politics, but only with competent advisors. But Schneizel and Lelouch could think like that, the world was a playground for them.

It made her wonder, sometimes, who the greater evil was; Schneizel or Lelouch?

There was probably some part of Lelouch who was that scared little boy, suddenly aware that the world could take things away as fast as it gave them. The same little boy who had lost his mother and almost lost his sister, his whole world had been destroyed in an instant. It was probably that same little boy that was trying to draw the world together, to bring it under control because it was full of unknowns. Lelouch didn't like anything that he couldn't control.

Still, part of the blame that he was like this was probably her fault. She had always been pushing him away, trying to distract Marianne's attention because she had idolized the woman. Cornelia had discovered early on that Marianne was more than willing to give her a lesson in commanding units of Knightmares or piloting one as long as Lelouch was occupied. So she had used every chance she could to get Lelouch away, and those usually fell to Clovis and Schneizel.

It was Schneizel that had taught him to play chess and it was only Schneizel that Lelouch couldn't manage to defeat. There was no question on why Lelouch chose to stick close to his older half brother. And, at that time, Cornelia could have cared less, she was getting the undivided attention of her role model.

Nunnally had just made the problem worse, taking both Marianne's attention and Euphy's, but Cornelia had been unable to get as annoyed at Nunnally as she did Lelouch. In fact, she was more content to have Nunnally in her presence than the sullen prince.

Then Marianne had been assassinated, and Nunnally and Lelouch had been sent to Japan. No one knew what had happened over there, Lelouch and Nunnally had never talked about it, which was surprising, at least for Nunnally. With Euphy spending so much time with Nunnally after the two had been rescued from the hell that had become Japan it was amazing that neither of them managed to talk about what had happened. At least Nunnally had hinted at things, but Lelouch didn't speak at all, he had gone right back to behaving like the prince that their father wanted him to be. Even Schneizel had felt threatened at times with how ruthless Lelouch had become, much more like Charles than the prince they had known before.

Cornelia looked up abruptly as Schneizel cleared his throat, giving her an expectant look. She faked a yawn, buying herself some more time before focusing on him again. "We should focus on defeating Lelouch first."

Schneizel shook his head and gave her a fond smile. "This is why we'll be a good team. You can't just focus on defeating Lelouch, you have to make sure that he'll have no chance to get back to his feet." He shifted in his seat. "I'll leave the military maneuvers mostly to you, you're the genius in this Cornelia."

She blushed. "N-no I'm not."

"Yes you are. Save Lelouch, there is no better strategist in the field and certainly no better Knightmare pilot. Marianne would be proud."

Cornelia felt her mouth drop open at that, partially aware that she should close it, it wasn't a very princess-like behavior. But the weight behind the compliment shocked her. Marianne had possibly been the greatest Knightmare pilot to have lived, there was no way that she could even be close to that skill level. "I…I…"

"That's why you're in charge of the field; it's your greatest strength. I only ask you to bring the plans to me so we can see where Lelouch will try and break through. If we let this drag on for too long, he'll have the advantage. The JLF will only put up with us as long as they know that you can help them win and it's only a matter of time before the EU decides that their best option would be to hand me over."

"It would be better to attack sooner rather than later. The longer we wait, the stronger his position will be."

Her suggestion got a smile out of Schneizel. "I agree. And all battles must focus on Lelouch himself. If he falls then his empire falls as well."

Cornelia was about to agree, stopping when she considered his words. "Kill him?"

Schneizel raised an eyebrow. "After he's killed so many of us and after he killed Guilford, you're hesitating?"

She didn't know how Schneizel already knew about Guilford, clenching her hands into fists. Schneizel was right, this wasn't the same Lelouch she had watched back at Aries Villa. This was a corrupted version of that little boy. They would be doing him a favor by putting him out of his misery. This would be his atonement for all of the crimes he had committed.

Cornelia nodded slowly, raising her gaze back up to meet Schneizel's. "Promise one thing?"

"And what is that?"

"That Euphy and Nunnally are rescued no matter what."

"Cornelia-"

"They aren't a part of this. Lelouch is just holding them hostage. They're not going to become casualties of this war."

For a moment, she was afraid that he would refuse, Schneizel just staring blankly at her. Cornelia took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from tensing up. She wanted Schneizel's help to be able to end this war as fast as they could and to secure him as an ally, as much as one could have Schneizel as an ally; he would always look after his interests first. But, if she absolutely had to, she would do this on her own. She was willing to lose subordinates on the field and her loyal knights, but she wasn't willing to lose her two remaining sisters.

Schneizel nodded slowly, Cornelia nearly missing the motion. "I see your point. And you're right, they're just poor girls caught in the middle of this, nothing more than political tools that Lelouch can use to secure allies."

Cornelia's stomach rolled at the thought, it was all too easy to imagine Lelouch selling Euphy off to some old man in the Chinese Federation to keep them quiet and lull them into a false sense of security. Lelouch would never risk himself in the game of political marriages, which was probably the other reason that he had taken his two sisters alive, a way to placate the remaining two world powers.

"Now, you call back when you have those plans ready and don't worry about the time, this is more important." Schneizel paused, staring at her for a long moment. "Although, I might have to insist that you get more sleep. You're no use to us half awake."

"Of course." Cornelia tried to laugh, the sound catching at the back of her throat.

Schneizel glanced around the room he was in before leaning forward and lowering his voice. "I am truly sorry to hear about Guilford, Cornelia. When Kanon-" Schneizel cut himself off, Cornelia watching him jerk slightly at the mention of his aide's name.

Instead of completing his sentence, Schneizel just gave her a sad smile before sitting up. "Let's stop him before anyone else dies."

The screen shut off abruptly, Cornelia staring at it before drawing her legs up to her chest. No one would come into the room until she called for them, she had made sure of that. This was the only chance that she would get to be alone in the foreseeable future, the rest of her time would be eaten up with planning for a way to make sure they could trap Lelouch and kill him.

Cornelia shuddered, ducking her head to press it against her knees, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks. She gasped, startled by her reaction. She reached up to wipe them away, pausing when she realized what she was missing. Guilford had always been there when she had cried before, all of those rare instances when a good duel in a Knightmare frame couldn't sort out her emotions. He had always been there and now, because of Lelouch, he wasn't.

She stood up, clenching her hands into fists as she turned and walked towards the door, not caring if she was still crying. She always sleep later, there were more pressing issues at hand.

* * *

Suzaku jumped as something clattered onto the ground, looking down to stare at the tool that he had dropped on the ground. It took him a while to process the fact that he had dropped it, feeling a blush rise to his face as he picked it off the ground, glancing back to the time machine.

Cecile was hard at work now, scrambling around the interior of the car with a pad of paper and a pen, frantically scribbling words only to cross them out a moment later. Suzaku blinked when she looked over at him and smiled. The last time he had checked, Lloyd had been in the car, taking measurements and carefully taking sections out for further study. Between that time and the time he had woken up, Lloyd had apparently finished with his work, leaving Cecile to look over the systems. Knowing Lloyd, he was tucked away somewhere sketching out improvements while Cecile did the grunt work of fixing sections of the car.

Suzaku sighed and stood up, stretching carefully and wincing when he neck protested the move. It was amazing that he had even managed to fall asleep against the wall, but that could easily be blamed on the battle the day before and his near death experience at Lelouch's hands. Suzaku flinched and reached up to rub at his neck, sure that there would be bruises by now. Hands down, admitting that he knew where the JLF were hiding out was without an explanation had to be the stupidest thing that he had ever done.

He reached up to rub at the back of his neck, feeling the muscles there relax as he worked at them. Suzaku carefully looked up, trying not to move too far out of the comfortable position that he had found, watching as Cecile extracted herself from the car, staring at her notes and shaking her head before looking up at him and smiling. "Morning."

"Morning." Suzaku stifled a yawn. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours, maybe three. Not nearly long enough. You should have just told Lloyd to shut up and gone back to your bunk."

Suzaku laughed, rolling his shoulders before straightening out. "It's probably better that I didn't."

Cecile gave him a concerned look before muttering something about breakfast and rushing off. The mention of Cecile's cooking made Suzaku's stomach turn, although he wasn't sure if it was from hunger or from his fear of her cooking. Still, it hadn't killed him yet, he had grown up with her cooking. Cecile's cooking was the reason he had learned to cook in the first place, desperate for something that didn't make him want to throw up when he looked at it. Right now, he was sure that he was just starving, his stomach would soon learn its mistake later.

He bent down to toss the tool back into the tool box, staring at the time machine and flinching. There was so much to fix, the inside mostly safe from damage, but the outside looked horrible. There were ten spaces that he could count where the armor and metal itself had been peeled away to expose wires. Lloyd and Cecile would have to take all of the armor off and check all of the wires and connections to make sure that everything functioned the way it should, and that would take some time, time that Suzaku wasn't sure he had. How long it would be until Lelouch summoned him and demanded a story about how he knew about the JLF?

But how could he explain that he was from the future without being laughed at or imprisoned?

Suzaku leaned back against the wall, heaving a long sigh before looking to the side. He jumped as he spotted Lloyd standing right beside him, tripping over the toolbox and sending the tools clattering to the floor. He winced and immediately dropped down to pick them up, automatically ordering them the way that Lloyd preferred them.

Lloyd smiled at him from above, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground before presenting a hastily sketched drawing of the time machine to Suzaku. Confused, he took the pad of paper, turning it from one side to the other until he figured out which way the drawing went. He frowned as he slowly translated Lloyd's almost illegible writing.

The scientist quickly lost patience with him, snatching the pad back and pointing out certain sections of the drawing as he spoke. "You said that I made this so I've drawn what I would do to create a time machine with only the material that I could easily get. Of course, this will be different from what I can do in the future. I doubt Lelouch will let me hang around after a certain point."

Suzaku quickly looked away at that, feeling Lloyd's gaze on him. The scientist seemed content to stare at him for a while before Lloyd turned his head back towards the time machine. "Explain."

"I don't think I can."

"Then I have no idea what I'm working with."

Suzaku stared at him before shaking his head, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "The car and the time machine thing…the stuff that makes it time travel are fueled by two separate sources. The car runs like a normal car. The time machine part, you called it a Flux Capacitor, is powered by the Yggdrasil Drive, as is the Blaze Luminous system. Apparently the Flux Capacitor doesn't activate until you hit eighty-eight miles per hour." Suzaku paused for a moment, looking between Lloyd and the car before giving a helpless shrug. "That's all I've got."

Lloyd stared at the car, Suzaku shrinking back against the wall and wrapping an arm around his stomach when it growled. He went back to packing up the toolbox, jumping and nearly knocking it over again when Lloyd threw his pad of paper into the air. "That doesn't make any sense! All the connections are wrong!"

The scientist crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the car before giving a frustrated sigh. "What could drive me to cannibalize the Lancelot? What horrible maniac do I become?"

Suzaku hesitated before reaching forward to rest a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, letting it drop when Lloyd shrugged it off. He ducked his head and sunk back against the wall, staring at the floor. "It's not your fault. T-there's an order that makes you do it." He heard Lloyd shift, Suzaku biting his lip as he considered what to say. "A few Knightmares are still around, but those were specifically chosen. The Lancelot wasn't chosen, so you had to destroy it or they would have obliterated it."

"Monsters, all of them."

"Yeah." Suzaku pulled his legs up to his chest, glancing over at the Knightmare Frame that was looming just to his left. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out who Lloyd was talking about, but he was more than willing to blame it on the lack of sleep he had been getting. He rocked his head back, resting it against the wall and letting his eyes slide closed.

He wasn't sure if he had dozed off or he had just closed his eyes for a moment before Cecile was there, shaking his shoulder and offering him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Suzaku smiled weakly at her before taking the sandwich, staring at it for a moment before deciding that he was too hungry to care. His first bite seemed normal until he started chewing, Suzaku shivering as he picked out another flavor in the sandwich. Just to make sure, he peeled back the top slice of bread, staring at the pieces of what looked like squid in with the peanut butter and jelly.

He stared at the mix before letting the bread fall back into place, he was just too tired to care. Suzaku took another bite, trying his best to ignore the taste. This was just to keep his stomach from complaining. He could always sneak out later and try and find something in the kitchens. He couldn't actually leave the administrative building complex and buy something since he hadn't been paid. But, then again, he didn't officially exist in this time, so it didn't matter.

Suzaku finished off the sandwich, staring at the one on the plate that had been set between him and Lloyd speculatively. The first one didn't show any signs of coming back up, and he was still hungry…

Lloyd glanced over at him, shaking his head before pushing the plate over in his direction. Suzaku smiled his thanks and tore into the sandwich, aware of Lloyd's gaze on him. "You're not human."

"I grew up with this." Suzaku quickly swallowed the mouthful of sandwich. "I can cook, but I'm usually the last one home."

Lloyd just shook his head and turned back to his drawing, Suzaku chuckling as he heard the scientist mutter something about being 'inhuman' before finishing off the last of the sandwich. He dropped back against the wall with a long sigh, staring up at the scaffold that stretched above them, closing his eyes. "How long do you think it'll take?"

"Are you short on time?"

"Kind of." Suzaku slowly opened his eyes. "I would like to get out of here about a year from now."

"I'm assuming because of some future event." Suzaku laughed, Lloyd shaking his head. "Careful with the hints, you're spoiling me."

"Hey, you asked about the car."

"It's in my rights." Lloyd gave the car a fond glance before going back to his scribbling.

Suzaku shook his head before slowly standing up, wanting to walk around before his muscles started to cramp. He stretched his arms over his head before wandering over to where Cecile was sitting behind the computers. He climbed up to the platform, looking at the data she was scrolling through, guessing that it was the data that they had pulled from the Lancelot after he had gotten back from the battle.

Cecile paused in her work, looking at him before frowning. "You're still wearing that uniform, Suzaku?"

He blushed. "Well, I do get a clean one every morning along with…other things." The glare that Cecile was giving him implied that he still hadn't mollified her. "Honestly, other than my uniform, my school uniform and the pilot suit, I have nothing else."

"We'll have to fix that."

Suzaku reached out to grab her arm as she tried to stand up. "Miss. Cecile, you don't have to. I don't even have the money to pay you with."

"No…" Her eyes narrowed as she stood up, walking towards the door to the hangar. "We'll see about that."

"No!" Suzaku jumped in front of her, offering his best apologetic smile. "I don't officially exist now so that's probably not the best idea. And I'm not quite on the best terms with my employer."

"Your-"

"Ah, so the rumors are true." Suzaku flinched as Lloyd stood up, the scientist abandoning his calculations for the moment to amble over to where they were. "I just thought they were barrack gossip."

"Suzaku, what rumors?"

He swallowed and ducked his head, trying to think of a way to phrase his current situation without making it sound too bad. "I…uh…His…"

"I'm sure that he doesn't actually make you sleep in his bed." Suzaku paled as he stared at Lloyd, catching Cecile's horrified look out of the corner of his eye. The urge to hit his head against something became stronger when Lloyd grinned at him. "Or does he?"

"Suzaku," Cecile tugged gently on his sleeve to get his attention, "even if he's the emperor, you're allowed to say no. He can't kill you because of that."

"Yet."

"Lloyd!"

"It's not like that, Miss. Cecile." Suzaku blushed, stuttering out the words so that they nearly ran together. "He…He just ordered me to sleep on the couch in his room because it would be safer…or something."

"Or he just didn't want to see you beaten up again." Lloyd hummed to himself before straightening up. "We might need to start a pool on this again. I want revenge from last time."

"Lloyd!"

The scientist smiled at Suzaku. "Oh don't look at me like that. I want revenge. Cecile won last time." He wandered off, leaving both Suzaku and Cecile appalled.

Suzaku cleared his throat, turning back to Cecile and trying to find a way to save the conversation, already feeling that it had died. He lowered his gaze to his feet, clearing his throat as he prepared to wait out the awkwardness, sure that Cecile would chose to go after Lloyd and reprimand him.

To his surprise, she reached out to touch his shoulder, Suzaku looking up to see Cecile smiling at him. She gave his shoulder a squeeze before wrapping her arm around him. "Are you off duty?"

He tipped his head, remembering Lelouch's angry order from the night before. He wasn't sure if that counted, or if Lelouch had changed his mind. From what little he knew about the emperor, Lelouch could have changed his mind by now and was impatiently waiting for him, but he would never know. Suzaku sighed and settled for a shrug. "I…I actually don't know. I don't even know if he'll still want me to pilot the Lancelot."

"Lloyd won't let anyone else do that."

Suzaku let out a relieved sigh, glad to have something to do to occupy his time. "Yeah, I guess."

"Well," Cecile glanced at her watch before looking back at him, "it sounds like you're technically off duty and that you're in need of some basic things. Change back into your school uniform, we're going shopping."

"But, I can't pay!"

"Don't worry, you can pay me back."

"Miss. Cecile!"

She pulled him close into a hug, Suzaku freezing for a moment before relaxing. He lifted his arms to hug her back, hesitating for a moment before allowing them to drop back to his sides. She wasn't his Cecile yet, it wasn't fair to hug her back and expect the same reaction. Suzaku sighed, dropping his forehead to rest on her shoulder and allowing the contact to continue.

Cecile pulled away quickly, giving him a worried glance before stepping back. "Consider it a thank you, for agreeing to pilot the Lancelot and giving Lloyd something to distract himself with." She peered down at his face, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a smile. "Even if I don't believe you're our adopted son from the future, there's no reason to treat you differently from any other person."

"Thank you."

"Welcome." Cecile reached over to the computer and shut it off, Suzaku following her gaze as she looked back at Lloyd. The scientist had returned the main part of the hangar, now sitting on the hood of the time machine as he hurriedly jotted notes down. "Lloyd, don't forget the Knightmare Frame the emperor asked for!"

Lloyd waved her away. "Go, torment the poor boy."

"Lloyd!"

"Fine. I'll work on the float system."

"Knightmares, Lloyd."

"Float system first, Knightmares later. I can't let Rakshata beat me." The last sentence was more of a mumble, Suzaku stifling a chuckle.

Cecile shook her head, turning away and rubbing her head. "What am I going to do with that man?"

"Put up with him."

"That's about all you can do with Lloyd." Cecile laughed at that, gesturing for Suzaku to head down to the floor first. "Change first, and then we'll go."

Suzaku did his best salute, sure that it was as shoddy as his bow before jumping down the stairs. As soon as he got his pay, he would start paying Cecile back for her kindness, Suzaku flinching at the thought. Lelouch had every right to discharge him from the military, seeing as he was just a student and, now, a suspected conspirator with the JLF. But he would figure something out; even it came down to hiding in the A.S.E.E.C to stay close to the time machine.

* * *

It was a testament to how deep in thought he was that he completely missed the fact that he had walked past both Euphemia and Nunnally, Lelouch brought to an abrupt stop as his sister reached out to grab his hand. "Lelouch?"

He jumped at the soft touch, turning to stare at his sister. Nunnally returned his stare evenly, her fingers brushing over the back of his hand before flipping it over to touch his palm; the manner of reading him a throw back to the time that she had been blind. Thankfully that has only been psychosomatic, she had regained her sight after they had returned to Britannia after being rescued from Area 11, another thing to be thankful for, she had never seen the slaughter that their father ordered. She had never seen the body of their only friend, watched him get shot down indiscriminately by Britannian soldiers.

Lelouch wasn't aware that he was trembling until Nunnally took a stronger hold on his hand, tugging gently in a silent request for him to kneel down. Lelouch did so without a second thought, surprised when Nunnally wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. "You're thinking about him again."

"Kind of." Lelouch didn't look at Nunnally, feeling his sister squeeze his hand in response. He sighed and stood up, taking his customary place behind the wheelchair to push Nunnally along, heading back to the bench that Euphemia was sitting at.

His half sister looked up from the book she was reading, slipping her bookmark back inside before leaning forward with a frown. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Lelouch raised an eyebrow before sitting down on the bench, Nunnally immediately taking possession of his hand again. For a moment, he was tempted to take it back, Nunnally would be able to tell too much if she held his hand, she was far too good at reading him like that. He swallowed, glancing at his sister before letting her have the hand. Lelouch turned slightly to look at Euphemia, struggling to keep his trademark smirk in place. "There were more pressing things to attend to."

Her eyebrows rose, Euphemia glancing at Nunnally before sighing. "Did you let him sleep any?"

"Him?"

"Suzaku."

Lelouch felt Nunnally's hold tighten on his hand for a moment, not sure as to the move as encouragement or surprise. He placed his other hand over Nunnally's steadying her. "I don't see why he's my concern."

Euphemia stared at him before shrugging and lifting up her book again. "I just thought you had resolved things between the two of you."

"No. And there's nothing to resolve!" He heard Nunnally hum in confusion as she caught his lie. Lelouch glanced back at Nunnally before quickly amending his statement; he could always talk to Euphemia in private later. "Not in the way you are suggesting."

Euphemia nodded slowly, absently flipping through the pages of her book. "You need to take care of yourself, Lelouch."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"No, I mean it." Euphemia looked up at him sharply, Lelouch stunned by the strength behind the short glance. She sighed and dropped her gaze, reaching up to push her hair back behind her ear. "Even with all you've planned, you need to take care of yourself."

"You've told me this before, Euphy." Lelouch stood up, not pulling away from Nunnally. "And I told you that I was aware of that. Things have just gotten increasingly complicated."

"Then why don't you just ask them what they want?" Lelouch turned to stare at Nunnally. She smiled at him and tugged gently at his hand, trying to get him to sit down again. Lelouch locked his knees and resisted the pull, waiting for her to explain further. Nunnally frowned, giving his hand another pull before allowing him to stand. "We've already secured the other Areas, can't we just talk to them and come to an agreement. They probably just want their country back. It's simple."

Lelouch stared at her, partially aware that he was shaking his head. No, it wasn't that simple, Nunnally just thought it was. Sweet and innocent Nunnally with no grasp of politics thought that if people just talked then all of their problems would be solved. But it wouldn't be solved that way, if he backed down here then they would request more, something that he couldn't give when he was busy dismantling the Britannian empire from the inside. If one Area was set free too soon, not only would it crumble but the other Areas would rise up again. They needed to all be freed at around the same time, with a system already set up to make sure that they survived.

He took a step back, his hand sliding from Nunnally's. Lelouch glanced up at her face, seeing the hurt in her eyes before turning to walk away. He thought he heard Euphemia call for him, but he couldn't be sure, he was too caught up in running back over his plans, searching for a weak point or something that he could exploit.

He knew what the image that he was creating was doing to his sisters, it contradicted his attitude towards them, the Lelouch that they had always known. But it was for the sake of the world, for their sake that he had to act like a monster. It was revenge against his father for casting him and Nunnally off, revenge against the corrupt nation that Britannian and revenge for the death of his best friend. It was a mix of revenge, the anger of a young boy and a twisted form of atonement, but Lelouch couldn't pick out which parts were which anymore, they had blended together.

Lelouch reached up to push his bangs out his eyes, storming into the palace and heading back to his rooms. He suddenly wanted to tear off the official regalia of the emperor and just become Lelouch again, the person behind the emperor, but he wasn't sure if that Lelouch existed anymore.

He stopped outside of his door, rubbing his hands over his face before opening the doors. He would bury himself in his plans, there were still a few tweaks that he had to make before he could look over the whole system as a whole. Then came the hard part, writing out the laws themselves and figuring out a way to phrase them so that the people could accept them. Lelouch almost let out a laugh at that thought, stepping into the room. He could just disband the rest of Britannia's judicial system, they didn't matter to him. In fact, it would help his image, the monster turning on his own country and making them fear him. He could make the whole world hate and fear him, then they would turn on him and kill him, his promise to Euphemia aside. Lelouch was sure that that would rid him of the nearly overwhelming guilt that he carried, the guilt for failing his mother, his sister and his friend. Even now he was failing his sisters, lying to the two most important people in his life.

Lelouch ducked his head, stopping in the middle of the room and clutching at his shoulders, trying to fight back the hysterical laughter that threatened to bubble up. Somewhere along the line, he had stopped playing the part of the Demon Emperor and had allowed himself to become that entirely. Lelouch bit his lip until he tasted blood, keeping the laughter back even though his shoulders were shaking.

He sat down on his bed, leaning forward and shutting his eyes, trying to center himself. He wouldn't get any work done like this, but he found that he couldn't even focus on that thought for too long. Lelouch took a deep breath, the air hissing out between his teeth as he gritted them.

A soft sound from the couch made him jerk upright, Lelouch blinking rapidly as he focused on the lump curled up on the sofa. He stared at the curly brown hair, quickly leaning back as Suzaku rolled onto his side. The guard stared at Lelouch for a minute before sitting up abruptly, slipping off the couch and dropping to one knee on the floor. "Apologies, your highness."

Lelouch stared at him, making a strangled noise. He wanted to shout at Suzaku for the assumption that he would be welcome here again, but all he could think of was the report that Jeremiah had put together for him. It had been two pieces of paper, detailing all of what Jeremiah had found on Suzaku Kururugi, which was nothing at all. There was no student records, no health records, not even a birth certificate. Suzaku Kururugi shouldn't exist in this world, but he did.

Jeremiah had included a few speculations of his own, a soldier with the same last name, the man in question not having much to draw attention to him. With that came a relation to the Sumeragis, and the memory of Kaguya Sumeragi, the young girl that he had ordered to be killed with the rest of the Six Houses of Kyoto.

Lelouch shook his head, pressing the heels of his hands against his temples and taking a deep breath to calm himself down. The girl's accusing eyes were always a part of his nightmares now, hating him for what he was doing to her country. At the time, he had hated himself too, but he had gotten over it, he had become a monster.

"Your majesty?" His head jerked up at the sound of Suzaku's voice, Lelouch staring at the guard. Suzaku was looking worriedly up at him, shifting like he was going to get up. Automatically, Lelouch began to motion for Suzaku to stand, stopping halfway through when he spotted the bruises on the guard's neck, the bruises that he had made when he had been close to strangling Suzaku the night before. Lelouch felt his hands tremble, scooting back in the bed, not sure what he wanted to do to Suzaku in that moment.

Suzaku stood up slowly, walking over to the bed and reaching out a hand to him. "Are you alright, your majesty?"

Lelouch couldn't take his eyes off Suzaku's neck. He had almost killed the guard in that moment and he had felt perfectly at ease with it. How far did he had left to go before he could convince himself that killing his sisters would be a good move because they just slowed him down? Or, even worse, that it was the only way to keep them safe from Schneizel or Cornelia? He gasped, falling back on the bed and curling up on himself, purposefully keeping from looking at Suzaku. He kept telling himself that he had to be a monster, had to be the Demon Emperor convincingly enough or his plan wouldn't work. But how was he supposed to know when he could stop?

He felt the bed dip a little, the only warning he got before Suzaku was turning him onto his back. Lelouch stared up at the guard, barely thinking about his actions as he reached up and pulled Suzaku on top of him. He ignored the surprised yelp, wrapping his arms and legs around the young man and holding on tight. Right now, he needed something solid, something to center him in his world of plots and acts. He wanted something that could really be his and his alone, another person he didn't have to pretend around.

Lelouch pressed his face against Suzaku's shoulder, feeling the guard try to get up. He exerted pressure on Suzaku's back, opening his mouth to give the order to stay. He relaxed when Suzaku merely turned them onto their sides, still not touching Lelouch. He frowned at that and pulled Suzaku closer, feeling his panic begin to slowly settle.

He had a tendency to do this, to think until he got to a point where he was on the verge of a panic attack, the constant checks and criticisms on his own thoughts his own personal form of insanity. The only way that he had figured, thus far, to control it was just to hold someone, to have that physical reminder of something solid. A pillow would work in a pinch, but just the feeling of another person to cling to made all the difference. Lelouch frowned, scooting closer to Suzaku and ignoring the shudder that went through the guard. Of course, he was very careful about the people he decided to latch onto, he wasn't about to go touching anyone. Before it had been his mother, his sister and his best friend, until the latter had been shot.

Lelouch wasn't even aware he had made a sound until he felt Suzaku run a hand down his back, Lelouch frowning and reaching back to push Suzaku's hand away. He would only stay in contact for a short while and, until then, he would be the one doing all of the touching. And, judging by his relaxed state, he wouldn't be clinging to Suzaku for much longer.

He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to try and speed up the process for both of their sakes. The sooner he could let go of Suzaku, the better off they both would be. Awkwardness was never good between an emperor and his guard. Lelouch took another deep breath, noting that Suzaku smelled really nice before he opened his eyes, clearing his throat and rolling away. It was better to move away quickly and change the subject before the person began to question him.

"Let's try this again, how do you know about Narita?"

Suzaku didn't respond for a moment, Lelouch drumming his fingers against his stomach before turning his head. Suzaku was still on his side, staring at Lelouch with a mixture of what looked like shock and fear. Lelouch tipped his head to the side, watching as Suzaku broke free of his shock, staring nervously at the hand that the guard held out for him. "Are you alright?"

"Let me rephrase that." Lelouch scooted a bit further away, hoping that Suzaku got the point. "Are you sure that they will be at Narita?"

He jumped as Suzaku touched his arm, jerking away from the young man and scooting towards the other side of the bed. Lelouch turned his head to glare at Suzaku, stopping him from crawling over. "Answer my question."

Suzaku rocked back, sitting on his heels as he stared at Lelouch. He did his best not to squirm under the scrutiny, staring at the wall to keep himself from looking at Suzaku. The mattress sunk a bit as Suzaku shifted beside him, Lelouch a moment away from ordering Suzaku to give him the answer when the young man sighed. "I'm sure."

Lelouch smirked to himself. "And how can I trust you?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you how I got the information."

"I don't care, as long as it's right. Now," Lelouch propped himself up on his elbows, staring at Suzaku, "how can I trust you?"

Suzaku was looking everywhere but at him. "You have everything that I can give you, my livelihood and life. There's nothing that I can promise that you don't already have."

Lelouch hummed to himself, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling, stealing a glance at Suzaku out of the corner of his eye. "Jeremiah trusts you, despite the fact that you appeared from nowhere." Suzaku flinched at that, Lelouch raising an eyebrow before allowing himself to sink back to the bed. "But he trusts you, which says a lot. Since my mother's murder, he's been careful about who he allows close to me. Still, he seems to think that you're the best person to keep close as a personal guard despite your ethnicity, try not to disappoint him."

"Y-your majesty?"

"You have reason to remain loyal to me, and yet you continue to do so. Logically, you are either waiting for the opportune moment to betray me or you're not going to. Consider yourself lucky that I am more inclined to believe you mean me no harm."

He was jostled as Suzaku got off of the bed, Lelouch sitting up in confusion. He watched as the guard walked around to the other side of the bed before bowing. "I am yours to command, your highness."

Lelouch smiled and reached out to rest his hand on Suzaku's head, his fingers curling into Suzaku's hair. He felt the guard jerk a bit with the touch, sure that he was taking too many liberties already, but Suzaku's hair was so soft. "Tell me what you know."

Suzaku looked up at him, Lelouch not bothering to remove his hand from Suzaku's head. His gaze dropped to Suzaku's throat as the guard swallowed, staring at the bruises there. A soft cough from Suzaku brought his gaze back up, Lelouch shifting his hand so it was just resting on Suzaku's head instead of the more intimate gesture that he had taken up before.

"I could tell you what they could do."

"Could?"

Suzaku blushed. "I…I don't know anymore than that."

"And you can't tell me how you know?" Suzaku shook his head. Lelouch smiled and got up, lifting his hand from Suzaku's head. He walked over to where a chessboard was set up, sitting down in one of the chairs and gesturing for Suzaku to take the other. "Let's see what you know then."

Suzaku remained kneeling on the ground, staring at Lelouch with wide eyes. Lelouch tipped his head to the side, watching as Suzaku slowly stood up and shuffled towards the table, staring at the chess pieces. He shook his head, looking back up at Lelouch. "People are going to die."

"People always do."

"People I…know."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that. "A person with nothing and no one attached to them afraid of people dying?" He laughed, reaching forward to pick up the white knight, turning the piece over in his hands. "People will die, Suzaku, we're at war. You can't save them all." Suzaku opened his mouth to speak, Lelouch cutting him off with a glare. "What is important to consider is whether those people dying are enough to justify your actions. What are you fighting for?"

He leaned forward, depositing the white knight in Suzaku's hand, watching the guard stare at the chess piece. Lelouch leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and looking over his hands at Suzaku. "And, more importantly, is it worth the price that you'll pay?"

Lelouch waited as Suzaku stared at the chess piece, smiling when the guard's hand clenched over the chess piece. He had Suzaku now, he could tell by the way that the young man tensed. Interestingly enough, there was still some resistance in Suzaku, Lelouch could see that struggle in the way that Suzaku looked around the room before sitting down at the table, almost like he was looking for someone to stop him. So Suzaku's principles and purpose were clashing, that was something to watch carefully over the next few days, to make sure that purpose always won. For now, Lelouch didn't care where the information came from, just that it was right and it would help him win. And all of that was nothing without Suzaku himself, he was Lelouch's best Knightmare pilot to date, a resource that he didn't want to lose.

Suzaku gave a shaky sigh, placing the white knight piece to the side as he stared at the board. Lelouch watched as he cleared off the row of pawns on either side, placing one in the center of the board and four others to form a square around the single pawn. Suzaku licked his lips before resting a finger on the pawn in the center. "This is the summit of Narita…this would work better with a map."

"I want to see you do it here."

Suzaku stared at him before nodding, tapping the pawn before letting his finger drop to the board. "The JLF are actually in the mountain, but the entrance to their hide out is somewhere near the summit, it's disguised as an old house. You won't be able to attack that directly, they'll have it guarded."

"Like I would."

"The…the initial plan of attack that they will-would, would use is to fire at the forces below with turret guns, to try and thin out the ones attacking." Black pawns were pulled back onto the board to illustrate the arrangement of Lelouch's forces. Suzaku's hand hesitated over the board before he picked up the white queen and placed it on the 'mountain'. "They'll have Cornelia in reserve with other Knightmares scattered around to pick off those that will be coming up the mountain that survive the barrage." Suzaku paused, frowning as the stared at the set up, suddenly shaking his head. He reached over for the black king and set it among the pawns. "She'll stay up there until you enter the field."

Lelouch scoffed, shaking his head. "That's not tactically sound."

"It's not to defend the headquarters, they have enough escape routes to get out safely without a problem. This is to eliminate you." Suzaku glanced up at him. "Anything they do now will be to kill you. They want it to end soon."

"I'd imagine so." Lelouch leaned forward to pick up the black king, cradling the piece in the palm of his hand. "They're working with Cornelia, their sworn enemy, no matter if they are on the run. There's no trust there, as soon as I'm gone, they'll turn on each other."

He hummed to himself, staring at the pieces on the board, feeling a corner of his mouth quirk up in a smile. Suzaku was right, this would be easier to see on a map, where he could see the terrain of the mountain around this outline of the attack that Suzaku was laying out, but the delay to move might have changed Suzaku's mind.

"Still," Lelouch turned his hand over, catching the black king and leaning over the board again, "I want to end this as much as they do, this combination is too dangerous just to ignore."

He put the black king down in the confines of the mountain, moving the white queen into a threatening position. Lelouch sat back down in his seat, tipping his head to the side and watching Suzaku. "Checkmate?"

There was a soft click as Suzaku set the white knight next to the black king, and Lelouch smiled.

* * *

Kallen fell in at the back of the line of the Black Knights trailing out of the room, glancing up at Ohgi as she passed him. To her relief he fell into step by her side, Kallen glancing around the hallway. She narrowed her eyes as they passed the Britannian princess, turning away quickly. This was the woman they had lost over half of their remaining forces for, the woman that was supposed to be the one to save them from the emperor. Kallen doubted that having Cornelia here would just make any difference, her plan sounded like any other plan that they had used before. The JLF would be relying on their turret guns that were placed all around the mountain and then take the Knightmare Frames that made it past the fire on themselves.

It was amazingly simple, and Kallen hated it.

This was the plan that they had risked their lives for? A child could come up with a better plan then this. Kallen hunched further over, wanting nothing more than to return to the bay where all the Knightmares were held and continue her work patching up the Guren.

She was stopped by a hand on her shoulder, Kallen turning to glance up at Ohgi before looking at the man that was standing in front of her. She quickly straightened up, meeting his gaze evenly. The man smiled at that, holding out his hand. "I'm assuming that you are Kozuki Kallen."

"Right." She took his hand and shook it.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to finally meet the ace of the Black Knights. I am General Katase." Kallen resisted the urge to bow, merely slipping her hand from his and watching him carefully. Katase didn't seem to be bothered by the slight, still smiling at her. "There is something that I want to discuss with you."

He stepped away from the crowd of people, Kallen throwing a glance at Ohgi before following him. General Katase led her back into the room that they had just come from, Kallen staring at the other people that were leaning against the walls. She thought she recognized a few of them, trying not to stare at the obviously exhausted four that were standing together at one wall. She bit her lip, lowering her gaze to the ground. These were the best Knightmare pilots they had left, and they all looked like they would just keel over in the next strong wind. It was proof enough that the JLF had waited too long before making their move.

She looked up again as Katase stepped into the middle of the room, the motion drawing the attention of all the others as well. He gave them all a smile before sobering, waiting until the doors to the room had closed to begin to speak. "Now that you're all aware of the feint, it's time to reveal the rest of the plan."

Kallen straightened up at that, staring at him in surprise. The general didn't notice, turning around to meet the gazes of everyone in the room before running a hand over his face. "Simply put, we are just luring the emperor in to attack us. You all will be with the squad of Knightmares who are patrolling the ridge, but you will leave your posts as soon as we signal you. Considering the number of ace pilots that we have here, it will be a simple task to kill the emperor there. And I'm asking, no, ordering you now to abandon your Knightmares if you get into trouble."

Shouts of surprise rang out, Kallen taking a step forward. Abandon their Knightmares in the middle of battle? It was better to fight to the end than to just give up.

Katase raised his hands for silence, waiting for the pilots to calm down before he sighed. "In the light of everything that has happened, we realized we waited too long and didn't spend enough time lowering the number of Britannians that were coming against us. For now, all attacks will be focused on killing the emperor and we need all of our best pilots alive to do that. There's a good chance that we will be spending most of the next few months on the road, leading the emperor into traps, but it is the only plan of action that we can take, he has far too many men to take on head on."

He glanced around at them, nodding slowly before clearing his throat. "As for good news, India has decided to help us. We'll get getting supplies as we're on the move. Upgrades to your Knightmare Frames are being completed as we speak and the next shipment will be arriving at our next camp. That is all."

The pilots all bowed, filing from the room. Kallen went to follow them, surprised when General Katase stopped her again. He gave her a kind smile before taking a step back. "For our safety's sake, you understand why we can't tell everyone the entire plan."

"There's a known spy?"

"No, but we don't want to encourage someone to become one." Katase sighed and shook his head. "The emperor's string of victories is enough to convince anyone to become a traitor."

"The Japanese hate him."

"Hating him and staying alive are two different things."

Kallen shook her head. "Most stay low. No Japanese will want to inform him." She bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything about the system of Honorary Britannians, but they were considered traitors to their country already. "We can count on our people."

"Right, which is why we are evacuating the city at the base of Narita for the time being." Kallen's eyes widened at that. Katase patted her shoulder comfortingly. "We have a back-up plan in case the emperor escapes our trap. Bombs will be planted at the top of the mountain, enough to case a massive landslide. Either we'll get luck and bury the emperor alive or we'll kill off enough of his men to stand a chance. And we'll need you at the top."

"Why me?"

"The improvements to the Guren make it perfect to be the one to set off the bombs." Kallen sighed, jumping when she heard Katase laugh. "You'll have plenty of time to chase down the emperor afterward."

She bowed again. "Thank you, sir."

Kallen left the room before he could continue talking, feeling nervous. Now that she knew the entire plan she felt a little be better about their chances, but she didn't completely trust a plan created by a Britannian princess. After all, Cornelia had grown up with the emperor. While it did mean that she knew him well, it also meant that the emperor knew her equally as well.

She shook her head and hurried down the halls, weaving around people as she headed to where the Knightmare Frames were kept. She wanted to supervise the upgrades to her Guren, she was the one who would have to adjust to the new additions. She didn't want to be the one holding the rest of the team up when they finally chased after the emperor.

Kallen broke into a jog as she got closer to the bay, yelping in surprise as someone grabbed her and pulled her back. Her first instinct was to punch the person, turning and getting a glimpse of Ohgi's surprised face the split second before her punch landed. Ohgi grunted, reaching up to rub his shoulder. She winced. "Sorry."

"No, my fault." Ohgi rolled his shoulder. "So, what do you think of the plan?"

"I think…God, Ohgi, I don't know." She slumped against the wall, staring at him. "It'll work, it might actually work. But she created it."

"The general says that she worked it out with the other prince…whatever his name is." Ohgi waved a hand dismissively, clearing his throat. "Apparently, between the two of them, we've got a foolproof plan."

"It seems that way. But how many of our own foolproof plans didn't work?"

"If you don't think we should do it, we could always hold a vote and pull out."

"Ohgi…" She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "We can't anymore. We're not the Black Knights, we're just part of the JLF."

"The separate leaders still hold authority over their groups."

"What groups? It's just us and the JLF, Ohgi, all the others are gone." Kallen groaned and shook her head. "If we leave now, we'll be treated like traitors. And they need us for this."

"Kallen, all I'm asking is if you think that this plan will work, the first time."

She stared up at him, slowly shaking her head before shrugging. "It should. But that doesn't mean that it will."

"Kallen…"

"I'm willing to go along with it." She raised one shoulder with a shrug. "It's come down to this, Ohgi, we fight until we die and maybe we'll get our freedom."

"That doesn't sound like-"

"Well, I've been fighting for my country for a solid year now, I've changed, Ohgi. I shouldn't sound the same." She gave him a smile, hoping to soften the blow. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

Ohgi nodded slowly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Just…don't get killed Kallen."

"I won't. I wouldn't want to leave you with alone. You might just wither away."

"That's not funny."

"It's hilarious." Kallen laughed and walked back into the main hallway, heading towards where the Knightmares were kept, listening carefully. If Ohgi was really that worried about her, he would be busy making sure that this plan went through without any trouble and looking after their people. Just because this group called themselves the Japanese Liberation Front didn't mean that they were looking after the interests of all the Japanese; they had already put themselves into question. They had delayed for too long and then they had involved the Chinese Federation by asking for support from India. Kallen might not have had a full grasp of the politics of the world, but she knew that the Chinese Federation would take any chance to grab Japan. The JLF had just managed to get them caught between two world powers.

She shook her head in disgust, slipping through the doors to the Knightmare bay before they had even opened properly. A moment later she stopped dead in her tracks, watching the chaos unfolding before her. Apparently, the upgrades were all going on at the same time, which had made a mess of the bay. The only voice of reason seemed to be the woman with the pipe that was standing in the middle of it all shouting orders.

Kallen rolled her eyes and slipped through the crowd, working her way over to where the Guren was. Suddenly being the last one in had its perks, the Guren was tucked back into a corner where it was relatively quiet. There was still a good number of people scrambling over it, replacing the arm that the Knightmare had lost with a new one. Kallen raised her eyebrows at the clawed hand that was at the end of the arm before walking up to the man who seemed to be in charge of the group.

She tapped him on the shoulder, watching as he jumped, dropping a clipboard and a thick book. Kallen waited as he scrambled to collect his stuff again, clearing her throat when he went to scold her, pulling out the key to the Guren and dangling it in front of his face. "What are the upgrades?"

"Oh. Oh!" He cleared his throat and looked down at the clipboard, muttering to himself as he looked down the list. "We've already installed the Radiant Wave Surger," he gestured to the right arm, "and we're running the compatibility tests at the moment. We have a new cockpit standing by to be installed, something that won't weigh it down as much and we're going to be installing an upgraded operating system."

Kallen stared at him in shock, trying to process the list of changes, glancing back up only to watch as they pried the cockpit out of the Guren, flinching when the mechanics let it fall to the ground with a loud crash. She looked back at him, about to demand an answer when the book was pushed at her. "Report back in two days to run the tests. We'll update you more then. No, that's upside down!"

The last part was directed at the mechanics, Kallen staring at them before shaking her head, letting the activation key drop back around her neck. She headed for the simplistic scaffold that ran around the room, clambering up it and backtracking to where the Guren was. There was no way she was getting involved in what the mechanics were doing now, it was far beyond was she was capable of, but that didn't mean that she would just leave her Knightmare.

Kallen settled herself back against the wall, glancing down at where the Guren was below her before letting out a long sigh and flipping the book open.


	8. Chapter 8

** Chapter Eight **

_August 20, 2017_

Lelouch looked up as the door opened, smiling when he saw Suzaku walk in. The guard met his gaze for a moment before looking away, turning around to bow to the girl that was following him in. Lelouch's smile faltered at the sight of Euphemia, his hands clenching on the armrests. She glanced at him before walking over to the table, looking over his battle plans.

All of the Knightmare units had been sent out already, all of them arrayed around the mountain and waiting for his orders. The Royal Guard was also waiting for him, all of them hesitant about letting their emperor go out into battle. Lelouch chuckled to himself, standing up from his throne and walking over to the table.

Euphemia turned to look at him as he approached, watching him carefully as he came to stand beside her. "I don't like this."

Lelouch shrugged. "You were the one who wanted to come here."

"I wanted to come to learn more about what you were doing. But there's something about this that I don't like." Euphemia gestured at the table, leaning over the display. Lelouch joined her, double checking that everyone was following his orders. "Can't we wait until the Knights of the Round get back?"

"No. They'll arrive too late."

"Tomorrow is too late."

"Yes." Lelouch clenched his fists on the table. "We know where the JLF is now, so we need to try and destroy them now. The longer we wait the longer this will be drawn out"

"I understand that, Lelouch." She bit her lip. "But what about Cornelia?"

He tried not to flinch. "If it is possible, I'll take her prisoner, then you can talk to her. But she wants to kill me Euphemia."

"Then let me talk to her now."

"She's probably waiting for us right now. You won't be able to reach her." Lelouch pushed away from the table, circling it to check all the angles, frowning. So far, everything had been as Suzaku had said, down to the last detail. The few fly-overs of the mountain he had allowed had proven as such, there had even been times when he had seen Knightmares out in the open. But those had probably been put out there to draw him into an attack, but he had waited until all his forces were ready.

If he was honest with himself, he had been waiting for the Knights of the Round to get back, but they had been delayed in the EU. Still, they had secured the goodwill of the EU, the countries promising to turn Schneizel over as soon as he showed his face. Lelouch was content with that for now. Everyone had their weakness, even Schneizel.

Lelouch glanced to the side, watching as Suzaku walked over, part of him admiring how the young man looked in the pilot suit while the other half of him worried. His list of important people had grown by one, he would have to keep Suzaku especially close now. If Schneizel got a hold of Euphemia, Nunnally or Suzaku, he was done for; they all meant too much to him to just give up without a thought.

He kept his mask of calm off as he stepped to the side, gesturing at the display. "Can you think of anything we are missing?"

Suzaku glanced at him before staring at the display, Lelouch watching as his lips moved, Suzaku reciting something as he touched certain parts of the mountain. He was unnerved a bit by the frown that remained on Suzaku's face. He had taken into account everything that Suzaku said and had created the best plan based on that.

"Nothing is missing." Suzaku's hand dropped back to his side, the young man sighing and pushing away from the table. "It's just that…the city, it was deserted when we went through. Completely deserted."

Lelouch nodded, suddenly understanding the worry. He had put that out of his mind for the moment, more focused on setting up his troops. They had even cordoned off the area to make sure that no one tried to get through to Narita. The city below the mountain had been swept thoroughly by foot soldiers, Lelouch making sure that the squads were Britannians instead of Honorary Britannians, he wanted to be sure. The city was completely deserted, and it had something to do with what the JLF was planning.

He hunched over the map, staring at it as he tried to come up with a plan that would involve emptying the city completely but nothing came to mind. He sighed, shrugging as he looked at Suzaku. "They're protecting their citizens."

"It's something else. Something… I'm sorry for my failure, your majesty."

"Shut up." Lelouch watched as Suzaku shrink away, shaking his head with a long sigh. "Don't blame yourself, this is something I should have seen."

Now that Suzaku pointed it out, it seemed too simple that they were just protecting their people. If they really wanted to trap him, they would have left the citizens in their city to present the image of normality. So they were just trying to lure him in, proving that they were there by handing him a mystery of the city. They knew that he would take it as a positive sign that the JLF were using Narita as their base of operations and charge right in, which is exactly what he planned to do. He already knew their plan, and he had anticipated any small changed in it. And he had been right, Schneizel and Cornelia created a plan that he would have had difficulty getting around especially with their advantage of holding the summit of the mountain.

He smirked and straightened up. "It's nothing to worry about. We've thought of every course that they can take and have planned around it."

"Still…the Knights of the Round…" Euphemia let the sentence trail off, Lelouch turning to look at her.

For a moment, he was tempted to snap that he didn't need the Knights of the Round, that he was capable of leading on his own when he realized what Euphemia was really trying to say. She was just worried about him, as she always was when he went into battle. She trusted the Knights of the Round far more than he did, probably thinking that they could win any battle, whether that was because of the myth of the Rounds themselves or faith in her lover.

He sighed and reached out to pull her into a hug, feeling safe in showing affection with only Suzaku in the room. He had forbidden the generals from entering until he ordered them to, he didn't want to have to explain why he was putting all of his trust in a young man who wasn't even a Britannian and had appeared out of nowhere. There were many times over the past few days that Lelouch felt like he should back out and ignore everything Suzaku had told him, but he was sure that it would get results, and that was enough to trust Suzaku. "Nothing will happen to me. Suzaku won't let that happen. Right?"

The young man jumped at suddenly being addressed, staring at Lelouch before nodding slowly. "I swear it."

Lelouch pulled away from her, Euphemia taking a steadying breath before nodding and walking over to the throne and sinking down on it. "Keep your communication channels open, Lelouch. I reserve the right to stop this operation if you aren't able to be contacted for a reasonable amount of time."

He raised and eyebrow before laughing. "You sound like an empress, Euphy."

She smiled at him before turning attention back to the screens in front of her. "Ready when you are."

Lelouch nodded, motioning for Suzaku to precede him from the room, waiting until the guard was gone before looking up at Euphemia. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

"I have to. You can't just throw me in as empress and hope that I do my best. I have to start acting like it." She gave him a shaky smile, Lelouch watching her hands tremble as they rested on the armrests. "You can make any excuses that you want to about me, but I want to know how to do my job. You promised that I wouldn't be a political pawn."

"Thank you Euphy."

She just nodded, not looking at him. Lelouch smiled and turned, walking out of the room. The generals were already waiting for him. "You may enter now. Princess Euphemia will be watching over the operation."

"Do you think that it's wise, your highness?"

"She wants to see her sister again, even if it's just a dot on the map." Lelouch glanced back towards the room, giving a long sigh. "She had been filled in on the details of the mission and will be putting her input in as well."

"But your highness-"

"If I give the word, then she is to be obeyed." He glared at them until they all bowed, turning and walking down to where the Knightmares were, sure that Suzaku was already waiting for him aboard the Lancelot.

He was not proven wrong, Lelouch smiling as he walked through the door and saw Suzaku sitting and waiting for him. Also waiting was the Gawain, the usual pilot looking nervous at being in the presence of an Eleven. Lelouch turned, smirking as he saw the final part of his scheme sitting patiently in the corner. He reached up to unbutton the top two buttons on his collar, taking a deep breath as soon as the fabric was lose, feeling a lot less like he was being choked.

"Suzaku," the guard straightened up in the seat, "you know your orders."

"Yes, your highness."

Lelouch nodded, reaching for the gun that he always kept tucked in his robes, walking over to the base of the Lancelot before tossing it up. Suzaku fumbled the catch, staring at the gun in his hands before looking back down at Lelouch. "Come back alive."

Suzaku just nodded, sliding into the depths of the Lancelot. All Knightmares were supposed to be equipped with a gun, but Lloyd was probably too distracted with the new Knightmare he had ordered and the continuing adjustments to the Lancelot to keep it in shape. For now, he would let it slide, but he would talk to Lloyd about the failing. Lelouch was not about to lose his best pilot because the scientist had gotten himself distracted.

He turned away and walked over to his Knightmare, grabbing the tow rope and riding up to the cockpit, easing himself inside. He flipped to the right communication channel, hearing the calls of the Royal Guards as they settled into position, trying to keep the smile off of his face. "Checkmate."

* * *

Cornelia sat in the Knightmare that she had been loaned, frowning as she looked over the systems. With her original Knightmare Frame back in Area 18 and probably destroyed by now, she had no choice but to accept the Burai that had been given to her. Thankfully, the controls were exactly the same to the Glasgow, a relief since Cornelia had never bother to learn the native language of Area 11; it was something that made her feel increasingly isolated in the JLF. There were a few who could speak Britannian, although fewer still wanted to speak to her. It was at times like these that she wished that Guilford was still alive…

She shook her head, keeping a carefully watch on the screen that displayed the forces coming up the mountain. Lelouch had reacted exactly as they had predicted, adapting an old military strategy to his advantage, slowly advancing up the mountain and destroying the turret guns. Everything he had done so far had fallen into their plans, even postponing the attack to explore the deserted city. Even now his Knightmare, surrounded by royal guards, was making its way up the mountain.

And what was even better was that everything was going according to plan. Usually in battles there had to be last minute adjustments to a plan, but not this one. Everything was falling into place, down to the route that Lelouch was taking up the mountain.

That alone made Cornelia's frown deepen. There was no way Lelouch was stupid enough to barge into an obvious trap, not unless he had some secret weapon. But their intelligence said that the Knights of the Round were still held up, Schneizel had done his best to keep them in the EU. It was something that they would have to find out later.

Cornelia traced Lelouch's path over the screen with a finger, pressing against the screen as she waited for his group to come into the right place. There were others ready to pass the signal up to where the bombs were planned, but she wanted to watch the moment herself, to know that she had finally beat Lelouch at something.

The dots that represented the emperor and his guard disappeared under her finger, the shout through the communication line starting up. Cornelia looked up towards where the red Knightmare was crouched over one of the bombs, watching as it stirred, pressing its silver hand closer to the bomb before a red serge of light came from the hand.

Cornelia narrowed her eyes against the bright light, smirking as their efforts were rewarded with the sound of the other bombs going off and the rumble of earth. Over the communication lines there were frantic shouts to move out of the way of the landslide, Cornelia adjusting her position a fraction when it looked like the flow of dirt would be getting close to her.

The landslide would tumble down the mountain, taking out a good portion of Lelouch's forces and a few of their own turret guns before tumbling down into the city below. And, if the Royal Guard didn't react quickly, most of the guard would be taken down with the landslide, the rest just a pitiful force. Then their group of ace pilots hidden in with the rest of the Knightmare squad could rush after him and pick all of them off.

Cornelia switched the Burai out of sleep mode, double checking the landslide before turning the Knightmare and sending it after the Guren as it raced down the slope. She felt herself smiling at the thrill of the chase. Some part of her should feel bad that she was hunting down her own brother like she had once hunted down rebels for the empire, but he had it coming. He had stolen her sister and her knight away, Lelouch had to be stopped.

She jumped as a face appeared on her screen, Cornelia taking a moment before she recognized it as the pilot of the Guren. She wracked her brain for a more accurate description of the girl, not coming up with anything more than she was a brilliant pilot. If only she had been Britannian. Cornelia shook her head, focusing on the pilot herself. "Watch out for the white Knightmare, he'll be our biggest problem."

"White Knightmare?"

"Spotted!" There was another voice on the line, an unfamiliar one. "It's on the opposite side from the target."

"Keep it that way." The Guren's pilot was speaking again. "If he gets to this side we'll all be in trouble."

"We'll take care of it."

Cornelia let the sounds of the orders coming over the line fade to the background, paying attention just enough to be able to react if new orders came through, but most of her attention was focused on the pitiful guard of three Glasgows that surrounded the Gawain. Considering the past actions of the Royal Guards, they would be no problem to defeat, all of them second sons of nobles, all of them useless in battle. Throwing all of the ace pilots that they had managed to assemble at the weak guard seemed like overkill now, especially watching the group panic.

She turned her gaze to the Gawain, the Knightmare Frame looming above the others. It was an impressive machine, she would give it that, put it was impractical in battle, slow moving and too noticeable. If the rumored float system was actually completed, they would have had trouble with the Gawain, but it was purely a defensive machine as it was now. And, even better, it looked like it was struggling with the slope of the mountain and the debris that littered the surface.

Cornelia smiled and charged in, firing a Slash Harken at one of the Glasgows, scoring a direction hit. She retracted the weapon and dodged close to the Gawain, the remaining Glasgows holding their fire for the fear of hitting their emperor. Cornelia laughed, she was too close to the Gawain for it to do anything to her. She could probably keep them distracted long enough for the others to come in.

The Guren charged in right after her, the silver right arm of the Knightmare extending and grabbing onto the head of the second Glasgow. There was a surge of red light before the metal frame of the Knightmare bubbled, sections of the Glasgow snapping off completely or falling to pieces. Cornelia raised an eyebrow as she watched the two locks that key the cockpit in place release, but nothing happened, the ejection system didn't respond further than that. She had to turn her eyes away the next moment when the Knightmare exploded completely. When she looked up again, the Guren had already moved in to attack the Gawain, the last Glasgow turning tail and running.

For a moment, Cornelia was tempted to chase after it, but there were more important things to worry about. She turned to join the Guren in its attacks on the larger Knightmare, darting it to attack the spaces in its armor, slowing the Gawain down further as they dented armor and cut wires. Slowly, other pilots trickled in, speeding it to make an attack when the shield on the Gawain flickered out in one place before backing away as the Gawain tried to fire on them.

Cornelia shook her head, unimpressed by the sloppy piloting skills. Of course a pampered noble's son wouldn't know how to handle the stress of a real battle. Or it could be Lelouch himself controlling the Knightmare now. Cornelia frowned and looked up at the cockpit. It certainly seemed big enough for two people, which was the only reason they would let their emperor go out into battle, the fact that there was an extra person to keep him safe and all of those shields. But didn't the size of the Knightmare defeat that purpose? It was like Lelouch was taunting them with his presence.

"It's broken through. I don't know how, but it's-AH!" Cornelia jerked out of her thoughts at the sound of the scream over the line. Immediately following was a curse from the Guren's pilot. "Take the emperor down, before it gets here!"

Cornelia glanced over at the Guren, vaguely wondering what would make her fear a single Knightmare so much before shrugging it off. They were just here to kill Lelouch, not get entangled in a long, drawn out combat. She steadied her Knightmare before sending it forward, getting under the shield just in time before using her gun on the Gawain's leg, firing at it as she circled around the Knightmare, ducking out through the other side. Two other Burais followed her example, keeping the Gawain in place and constantly shifting the shields about, enough of a distraction for the Guren to slip through and clamp its silver hand around the Gawain's leg.

She turned her gaze away when she heard the first crackling of the armor as the Radiant Wave Surger was activated. There was some part of her that had just wanted to go back to the past, to the times where they all could go play in the gardens of the Aries Villa, before Marianne had died and the world had changed. But there was no going back, this was a mercy that they were giving Lelouch, a mercy that they were giving to the world. They were getting rid of a scared little boy that was just lashing out at the world because it had taken his mother away, there could finally be peace for everyone, even Lelouch.

Cornelia looked back at the Gawain as there was a loud crack, one leg coming away from the body. The Guren released its prey and backed out of the way, the rest of the Knightmares moving back as the giant fell to the ground, parts of the armor still bubbling in places. The calm lasted a moment before the chest of the Knightmare exploded, the blast throwing the head off and destroying a large portion of the cockpit.

Almost immediately after the explosion had cleared, they rushed back in, staring at the cockpit. Cornelia felt her stomach drop as she only saw one body, the body of the pilot. The other seat was completely empty. She frowned as she pulled her Burai away, there had been no chance to eject or run, they would have noticed Lelouch then.

Her eyes widened, a curse slipping from her and onto the open channels. She ignored the calls from her allies, demanding answers from her. Lelouch had managed to outsmart them in the end, he had seen right through their strategy and used it to his advantage. Of course he wasn't stupid enough to keep himself stuck in a giant of a Knightmare frame that couldn't maneuver properly on the mountain, he had dangled the bait in front of them and they had taken it. Lelouch was still out there, probably powering towards their headquarters with the remainder of his guard ready to rejoin him at the summit.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed. That Glasgow the one that had turned and ran. She had just thought that it was a frightened noble, everyone knew that the Royal Guard was full of incompetent idiots, that's why Lelouch relied so heavily on the Rounds. That's how he had gotten past them, using that idea against him. By now he would be working his way up the mountain.

Cornelia turned her Burai, opening the Factspheres as she tried to search for the Glasgow, staring at the screen as she spoke. "All units, be on the look out for a lone Glasgow. It won't engage in combat, it'll probably just try and get away. Take it down at all costs. Destroy it completely!"

There was a moment of silence where Cornelia expected the response to her orders. She frowned, about to ask if there was anyone who spoke Britannian that could repeat the order in Japanese to the rest of them when she found out why there had been silence.

"White Knightmare!"

She looked up in time to see a Slash Harken miss her, Cornelia raising her gun in defense as she saw something speed towards her, the two objects clashing together before her gun was sliced through by the sword that the white Knightmare held. The Knightmare retracted the Slash Harken, already moving on to its next victim, Cornelia watching in horrified awe.

That was the Knightmare that they had reported moving out with the Royal Guards. How could the pilot be so competent? It was supposed to be a spoiled rich boy. In the time it had taken to get through them, it had taken out two Burais without losing speed. Cornelia frowned before turning her Knightmare. "Delay that Knightmare. Don't get caught too close."

This time there were a series of replies, Cornelia turning her Burai to pursue the white Knightmare. Nothing that they had been told had said that Lelouch had a pilot on the level of the Knights of the Round hidden away, and that was probably enough to turn the battle. That Knightmare could pin down and eliminate enough of their forces to let Lelouch get to the headquarters, and they wouldn't be able to evacuate in time, all of the commanders were there, waiting until the last minute to leave the base.

Cornelia gritted her teeth, catching glimpses of the white Knightmare as she chased after the lone dot that she was sure was Lelouch's Glasgow. They had to get there before the white Knightmare did, this was their one chance to end this war. After this, it would be harder to get the battle to be on their terms instead of the conditions that Lelouch set up. And, if she didn't prove her worth to the JLF, they could turn her over to Lelouch in return for their own safety. If that happened, then Euphy would be lost to her forever, Schneizel couldn't save her from this while he was trapped in the EU. Her hands trembled on the controls of the Burai, Cornelia taking a deep breath to calm herself.

She would not lose Euphy, she had come too far to give up on her sister now.

She pushed through the trees, slowing when she spotted a Knightmare moving up the slope, a slow smile crossing her face. There he was.

* * *

Suzaku cursed as felt the Lancelot tremble, pulling the Knightmare back. He glanced up the slope, continuing to send the Knightmare Frame backwards until he felt that he would lose control and topple it. His mouth fell open as he watched a rush of dirt and rocks tumble down the mountain, panting for breath and wincing at the screams that came over the line. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against one of the screens, taking deep breaths.

He couldn't believe he had forgotten about that, the last ditch move that the JLF had made. While they had never exactly talked about the tactics of the battles in his history classes, they had outlined the basic battle lines. Suzaku had used those to inform Lelouch, but he had forgotten about the landslide. Now Lelouch's forces were cut in half, and most of the Royal Guard stuck on this side.

Suzaku turned the Lancelot to face the summit of the mountain, leaving the others to panic. He had to get back to Lelouch's side, had to get out of here before the JLF launched their attack on them. The Britannian forces would struggle on this side, but they would win, with major casualties. He glanced over at the landslide, closing his eyes for a moment. Shirley's father was buried in there somewhere, slowly suffocating inside of his Knightmare. If he could, he would have save him, but Suzaku didn't know where he was.

He shook his head, firing a Slash Harken to pull the Lancelot over a large bolder that had been rolled down the mountain with the blast. Even then he wouldn't be able to risk it, he had done too much already. He had told Lelouch where the JLF was and outlined the exact battle strategy, there was no fixing that and no going back. Suzaku still remembered the resolute click of the white knight settling beside the black king, he was stuck with Lelouch until the end, a deal with a demon of his own making.

But it was getting harder to think of Lelouch just as a demon, especially after that moment that they had shared; when Lelouch had clung to him like he was drowning. It had been a jarring, and at the time, unwelcome reminder that Lelouch was just as human as he was. Hell, Lelouch was even the same age as him. And he had seen that same frightened look on Lelouch's face, the same look that said that Lelouch was out of his depth, the thing that reminded Suzaku that the Demon Emperor was, first and foremost, a teenager.

Why he was willing to put so much trust in Lelouch he still didn't know, his trust just a part of a confusing mix of feelings that came up when he was thinking about Lelouch. It was so much easier just not to think about it.

He was started from his thoughts as he encountered the first group of Knightmares, his hands trembling before he stopped them. He couldn't back down now, not when Lelouch was counting on him. Suzaku bit his lip, sending the Lancelot forward and pulling out one of the MVS swords from its sheath. He would try to stick to one for the time being, the terrain didn't lend itself to two. He activated the sword the moment before he struck, slicing through the gun that the Knightmare held and into the head.

Suzaku yanked the sword out, turning to run it through the next Knightmare. And that was as far as his plan took him, Suzaku staring up the slope of the mountain before continuing to move up. There had to be some place that he could cross the landslide without the danger of rolling the Lancelot or getting stuck.

He swung the sword at another Knightmare, missing but sending the Knightmare down to the ground as the pilot overcompensated. Suzaku glanced at it before moving to the side, spotting a place where the landslide was a bit thinner. It wasn't too bad of a jump, he could probably just do a spin kick over it, if he could get the Lancelot airborne again. Suzaku narrowed his eyes, looking for places that he could fire Slash Harkens into to help him along.

A crackle over the line distracted him, Suzaku reaching for the button that would switch over to the private channel, tensing when he saw Euphemia on the screen. The princess looked panicked, trembling where she stood. "They've found him. They've surrounded the Gawain. The pilot is calling for help, the guards left them."

Suzaku cursed, giving the landslide one last look before turning the Lancelot. He wasn't going to get the run up that he wanted, but it would be enough. "Understood, your majesty."

He stored the MVS, Suzaku taking a deep breath before sending the Lancelot speeding towards the gap, giving the controls a sharp twist to get the Knightmare airborne. Suzaku glanced down at the ground, flinching before firing one of the Slash Harkens into a tree, aiming another one for a bolder, using the two lines to swing him the rest of the way across the gap.

The landing on the other side was a near disaster, Suzaku having to keep the Lancelot in a tight spin just to keep it from falling over. He was jolted forward out of his seat on the landing, the Knightmare skidding into a tree and right into a group of JLF Knightmares.

Suzaku gasped for breath, trying to push himself back from the bank of controls that he had landed on, thrown to one side of the cockpit as the Knightmares opened fire. He scrambled to right himself, activating the Blaze Luminous system to protect the Lancelot until he could slide back into the seat. Then he turned on the Knightmares, drawing one of his swords and charging right at them.

One was pushed out of the way with the arm that still had the Blaze Luminous shield with another was stabbed through with the sword. Suzaku gritted his teeth, forcing the Lancelot off the ground for a series of kicks that had him praying under his breath that the Knightmare wouldn't fall over. He was tossed around the cockpit, still managing to keep a hold on the joysticks, finally figuring out how to brace himself to stay relatively still.

Thankfully, the Knightmares were now more inclined to give way to him, Suzaku contenting himself with disabling most of them. The less that he had to deal with later, the better the chances that Lelouch would get out of here safely. As long as the pilots ejected in time, they were good.

"Suzaku!" His attention was pulled out of the steady pattern of cutting through Knightmares and back to the screen. Euphemia was back on, and she was crying. His stomach twisted at that, she wouldn't be crying unless… "They took down the Gawain, Suzaku. We can't get the signal. They killed him!"

He stared at Euphemia before heaving a sigh of relief and slumping, barely aware of the little trembles that went through him. They went after the Gawain instead of the Glasgow that Lelouch was actually piloting. There was a good chance that Lelouch had escaped and was heading up towards the summit of the mountain. But, if they checked the cockpit of the Gawain they would figure out the trick.

Suzaku looked up, staring at the screen until he located the call number of the Glasgow that Lelouch was in. He had spent half of the fight up the mountain staring worriedly at it, expecting it to blink out at any time. It was still on screen, still registering as online and still heading up the mountain, but without an escort. He frowned, tracing the quickest path to the Glasgow with his eyes.

"Princess Euphemia." She glanced back at him, wiping her eyes. "Le-His majesty is still alive, it was part of the plan."

"He's-"

"I'm going to find him, you can trust me." He smiled, hoping that it would be enough to convince her.

To his surprise, she nodded. "Help him, please."

Suzaku gave a partial bow, waiting until she had cut the line, carefully switching back to the main one before drawing it a deep breath. He would have to dash up the mountain as fast as he could, no time for stopping. A quick glance at his energy filler made him wince, Suzaku letting his head drop. He was running on a little less than half of the filler, but he would make it enough.

He turned the Lancelot towards where the Gawain had been taken down, intent on trying to knock out a few of Lelouch's pursuers before trying to catch up to the emperor himself. Suzaku glanced from the screens displaying the forest he was working his way through and the dots on the grid laid out for him. He drew the MVS as soon as he was clear from the trees, barreling towards the Knightmares that were clustered around the Gawain.

He fired a Slash Harken into one of the Knightmares, using that to increase his speed, slashing at the gun that another Knightmare pointed at him. Suzaku turned his head, watching the red Knightmare out of the corner of his eye. It had a new arm, Suzaku eyeing the silver attachment. He didn't know what it did, but it looked dangerous, something that would be better to avoid at the time being. Still, it meant that there was one competent Knightmare that would go after Lelouch. Suzaku groaned in frustration, cutting through the leg of another Knightmare before barreling after Lelouch.

Suzaku kept having to force his gaze up from the dot that was Lelouch, letting out a frustrated groan as Knightmares kept darting out of the trees to attack and then dodging back before he could nothing more than swipe at them. He wanted nothing more than to chase after them and keep them from slowing him down and wasting his time, but there was something more important to do first.

A curse escaped him as a Knightmare slammed into him, Suzaku shooting a Slash Harken into the Knightmare to keep himself steady before retracting his weapon. The angle was too awkward to use the MVS sword, Suzaku shoving Lancelot into the enemy, getting away just before the Knightmare exploded.

He double checked the dot, ducking back into the trees and using them as a cover. Here the other Knightmares wouldn't dare to attack him, there was too much to factor in, and that would get him the time to catch up to Lelouch. If he could just remember what had made that red Knightmare so dangerous, actually paid attention when the teachers had gone over the famous Knightmares instead of ignoring the teacher to just try and calm his own unease. At least back then they had just been distant machines, obsolete machines that had inspired fear. Apparently, that was never enough to encourage Suzaku to pay attention. He shook his head, breaking from the trees as he drew alongside Lelouch's flight path.

Suzaku quickly turned the Lancelot to the side, teetering on the edge of a ravine that ran up the mountain. He bit his lip before turning his head, watching as a lone Glasgow made its way through the ravine. Lelouch's plan would have been foolproof, if his trick had lasted a bit longer. Instead, there were enough Knightmares heading up towards him, and probably a few that had planned an attack further up.

He spun the Lancelot around, running parallel to the Glasgow to provide cover. At least from here he could stop the enemy from shooting down on Lelouch, he had the advantage, albeit a slim one. Because of delays, mostly because of the time machine, the VARIS rifle hadn't been ready for this battle. Lloyd was probably working on it at this moment, which meant that he was only good for close combat. But when the Knightmares had to line up on the walls of the ravine the advantage was his. All he had to do was call Lelouch and tell him to focus on only one side of the ravine while he focused on the other. They would make it through alive after this, and he would find someone else with more authority to yell at Lelouch for the stupid move.

Suzaku reached up, adjusting the incom before switching to a private channel. If there were still a few Knightmares that didn't know that Lelouch was somewhere else he didn't want to broadcast the news. He cleared his throat, keeping the communications on audio only to keep from using up too much more energy. "They're onto the ruse, your highness."

There was a soft curse. "What about the rest of the Royal Guards?"

"Probably all dead, either caught in the landslide or they panicked when faced with the JLF actually winning."

"Thought as much. Bunch of useless noblemen."

"But still people."

Lelouch paused before laughing, Suzaku surprised to hear the sound. "You would say that, Suzaku." He jumped at the sound of his name, not sure when Lelouch had slipped into the habit of using it. Then again, he had been close to using Lelouch's real name instead of his proper title. "Are you attempting to become my conscious?"

"You should already have one."

Suzaku was sure that he imagined the sigh that came before the haughty response. "Demons don't-Fuck!"

The curse startled Suzaku. He leaned forward and pressed his fingers to the incom, trying to figure out the noise that was coming in over the line. He turned to look at the screen to his left, his hand dropping from the incom as he realized that he had pulled ahead enough from Lelouch so that the emperor was in his blind spot. He muttered a curse of his own as he turned the Lancelot around, his mouth dropping open in shock.

He had been so caught up in his conversation and his own belief that the enemy would only be waiting ahead of them to even think that they would attack from behind. And he was too high up to be able to do anything There were four enemy Knightmares crammed into the small space in the ravine, all of them firing on the Glasgow. Suzaku shivered as he realized that the faint sound in the background over the line had been the sound of the bullets hitting the Glasgow.

He gritted his teeth, searching for a place that he could jump off from and get down to the ravine, freezing when he saw the Glasgow below shudder, holding his breath until he saw the cockpit eject safely, the main body of the Knightmare twitching before crumpling to the ground. Suzaku allowed himself to relax for a moment, tensing when he realized that the emperor was more exposed now.

Suzaku reached forward, wasting precious seconds on trying to find the right button that would reroute the power to the weapons and communication systems only. The cockpit dimmed dramatically as he found the right button, Suzaku blinking as he tried to adjust his eyes to the dim lights that came from the screen. He adjusted his position on his seat before firing one Slash Harken into the opposite wall of the ravine. It wouldn't be enough to hold the Lancelot all the way down, but it would be enough. Any damage done to the Lancelot could be fixed, despite Lloyd's protests about his precious machine.

He shifted the Lancelot into place and closed his eyes before sending it off the edge. Suzaku felt the cable connecting the Lancelot to the Slash Harken strain for a moment, that enough to made him open his eyes to check on the ravine wall, quick retracting the weapon when the wall started to give out.

There was a moment of free fall before Suzaku twisted the Lancelot to the side, kicking a Knightmare down as he drew his MVS sword. He cut the fallen Knightmare in two before turning his attention to the other three, slicing at them haphazardly before retreating. He just didn't want them following him when he went to retrieve the emperor.

"Suzaku!" Euphemia was speaking to him again, Suzaku pulling himself back to the present, yanking his sword from the last Knightmare. "I can't get to Lelouch."

"Ejected." He hissed the word out as he turned the Lancelot, skirting the remains of the Glasgow and heading for where the cockpit had finally rolled to a stop. "Don't worry, princess, I'm already here."

"Thank goodness."

"I'll stay by him, your majesty." Suzaku glanced at his remaining operation time with a wince. "I won't abandon him."

He veered around a section of wall that had fallen, coming to a stop by the cockpit, worried when he saw that no one was coming out. Suzaku cleared his throat, switching to the outer speakers. "Your Highness?"

He was answered by the sound of bullets against the Lancelot's armor, Suzaku looking up at the walls of the ravine and feeling his stomach twist. He had managed to get them both stuck in this trap, Knightmares lining both sides of the ravine with guns pointed down at them. He straightened up the Lancelot, checking the screens to see if there would be a way out, watching the Knightmare formations surround them in the ravine as well. Suzaku sucked in a quick breath before dropping the Lancelot into a crouch, running his thumb over the button that would activate the Blaze Luminous system. He didn't know how long he could guard the cockpit until the power for the Lancelot ran out, but he would hold as long as he could.

The Knightmares started firing again, Suzaku activating the Blaze Luminous system, turning so the shield blocked one side of the cockpit, using the Lancelot as a shield for the other side. He braced himself against the barrage, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to keep his breathing even at the sound of the bullets smacking against the Knightmare Frame. Suzaku had thought that this would be enough to send him into a panic, but the sound of the bullets was nothing like the gang fights that he had listened to that one year, this was something completely new and different.

A soft chime from the controls made him look up, his eyes wide as he stared at Euphemia. She seemed just as surprised as he was. "Suzaku, what's going on?"

"I've found him." He smiled at her, the truth on the tip of his tongue. But how would he explain to Euphemia that both him and her brother were going to get killed because he hadn't acted fast enough? In the end, he was just a student, not a trained soldier or pilot. "Don't worry, your highness. I promised to protect the emperor and I will."

"Suzaku, report on your situation."

He stared at her for a moment, taking in her determined expression before letting his head drop, feeling the Lancelot shake under the barrage. He had moments left before the Knightmare broke up. Suzaku's gaze dropped to the remaining energy left, a wry smile crossing his face. The Lancelot would shut down completely before that happened.

Suzaku looked back up at the princess, surprised that he could keep a smile on his face. "We're completely surrounded."

"I-I'll send up reinforcements!" Euphemia was panicking now, Suzaku watching her sway in place as she tried to come to a decision.

He sighed and shook his head. "It would be too late, the Lancelot won't take much more…and I'm out of energy."

Suzaku smiled, trying to keep Euphemia from panicking too badly, keeping his smile up until the screen shut off. He reached down to open the cockpit, the chair moving to the end of its runners before the Lancelot slumped completely, Suzaku watching as the Blaze Luminous shield flickered out.

He remained crouched in the cockpit, staring at the empty chair until the bullets stopped coming. Suzaku swallowed and reached down under the controls where he had stored the gun that Lelouch had given to him. He would stand by Lelouch until they got out of here or they both died, he wasn't going back to the future without a guarantee that his future would survive. Suzaku tightened his hand around the gun before scrambling out of the Lancelot.

To his surprise, none of the Knightmares opened fire as he clambered down the Knightmare, foregoing the tow line. Suzaku hit the ground in a crouch, staring warily at the Knightmares that surrounding them, reaching up to readjust his incom before backing towards the cockpit.

He realized that he must have looked stupid enough for them to hold their fire, a skinny teenager completely surrounded by Knightmares and holding a gun for his own protection. While they were surprised, he would take his chance to get to Lelouch and try to get him out of there before they opened fire again. It didn't matter what happened to him, as long as the emperor got out of this situation alive.

Suzaku pressed his back up against the ejected cockpit, taking a deep breath before stepping around to the front, having to jump out of the way as the chair slid out, Lelouch dropping out of it with a cough. The emperor looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "It stuck."

"Get back inside, your majesty, you'll be safer."

Lelouch gave the ravine a quick glance before giving a harsh laugh. "Then why are you out here, you idiot."

"I promised your sister that I would protect you."

"This is suicide." Lelouch went to get up, Suzaku's gaze jumping up to the Knightmares on either side of the ravine. He sucked in a quick breath before lunging forward, pushing Lelouch back down on the ground and giving him a glare before standing over the emperor. "Suzaku, what-"

"Sh." Suzaku looked down at him again, taking in the shocked expression on Lelouch's face before looking up at the Knightmares again. He frowned as he saw one pilot standing up outside of his Knightmare, raising his gun and trying to keep it steady. Right now, he had to look every inch of a Royal Guard, he couldn't back down or else they would use that to their advantage. They couldn't think for moment he was just a frightened student out of his depth. Suzaku took a deep breath, meeting the gaze of the man who was staring down at him.

"Move."

"I can't, sir." Suzaku raised his other head to steady the gun. "I have my orders."

The man stared at him for a moment before leaning forward, his voice booming out over the Knightmare's speakers. "Who are you?"

"Kururugi Suzaku of the Royal Guard."

"Kururugi…but that's…You're Japanese."

"Yes, sir."

"And you know who the person you're protecting is?" Suzaku gave a nod, watching the man shake his head. "You know that we can help anyone he has taken hostage escape. You won't have to serve him out of fear any longer."

Suzaku felt something brush against his leg, refraining from answering until he figured out what the sensation was. He shivered as the sensation repeated itself, finally glancing down to see Lelouch clutching at his leg. The emperor gave a slight shake of his head, Suzaku tipping his head to the side before looking back up. "That's not the case, sir."

"Suzaku, don't."

"I promised to protect you."

"Suzaku, pl-"

"I can't accept your offer, sir." Suzaku shouted over Lelouch, feeling Lelouch's hand tighten on his leg. "I am a member of the Royal Guard, it is my duty to protect the emperor, even at the expense of my own life."

"But he's the one killing your people, ruining your country."

"I know that, but I trust that he's going to do the right thing." Suzaku paused and gave the man in the Knightmare a bow. "I thank you for your concern, sir, but I'm going to have to refuse. I have sworn my loyalty."

To his surprise, the man repeated the motion. "Your loyalty is recognized, but it's sadly for the wrong side."

Suzaku smiled to himself. "Everyone seems to say that. Even the ones on my side." He felt Lelouch clutch at his leg. "But I trust him."

"Very well."

Suzaku let out a long, shuddering breath as the man sat back down and slid into the cockpit again. This would be it, even if Euphemia could get any reinforcements up here. He had delayed them long enough. He glanced over at the empty cockpit, Lelouch could probably survive for a while longer. He reached up to take the incom from his ear, dropping it onto Lelouch's chest. "You'll need that."

"Suzaku?"

"You can call for help with that, Princess Euphemia knows where we are and that we're in trouble." Suzaku paused as he saw the Knightmares readying to fire, trying not to shiver. "I'll try and hit as many as I can."

"You have a handgun!"

"And, when I'm dead, feel free to use me as a shield."

"Suzaku!"

"Get to the cockpit and hide there until the reinforcements get here. It won't last long, but hopefully it will be long enough."

"Don't do this." Suzaku settled into a crouch, feeling Lelouch's other hand grab onto his leg. "I order you not to do this!"

"It has been an honor to serve you, your highness."

* * *

"Suzaku? Suzaku!" Euphemia stared at the blank screen. "Suzaku Kururugi, please respond! I order you to respond!"

"The line is dead, princess." She stared down at the generals, watching as they milled about on the floor below her. Euphemia bit her lip, standing up and walking down to the display.

She leaned over the display and stared at it, pointing out the few squads of Knightmares that were close enough to the last known location of the Lancelot and her brother. "Tell them to head over to this point," Euphemia tapped the place, "and tell them to hurry."

"But we need to chase the rebels-"

"They're after the emperor, that's all they care about." Euphemia leaned over the table, doing her best imitation of Lelouch's glare. "The emperor knew that and he took the gamble, now we have to go and help him."

"He has-"

"The Royal Guards are all compromised, except for one and he's out there without a Knightmare." She watched them flinch, Euphemia taking a deep breath. "Now, do as I say."

There was a scramble around the table as they raced to obey her orders, Euphemia watching them work before looking down at the display. Even when the squads rushing to their rescue, it wouldn't be fast enough. Suzaku would be stalling as long as he could, but that was still a length of time when Lelouch would be left defenseless. Euphemia slumped over the table, reaching up to wipe her eyes. She couldn't cry in front of these men, she didn't have the time. She had to think. What would Lelouch do in this situation?

He would just sacrifice everything to get out of there alive, even Suzaku. Euphemia shook her head, she wouldn't do that. She would have to come up with her own plan, something that she had to get used to. When Lelouch gave her the empire, his plans and laws would only work so long on their own, then she had to start thinking on her own. But there was nothing she could do here but react.

Euphemia froze, staring at the map of Narita without really seeing it. The best way to get out of this situation was to change it to her advantage.

She straightened up, reaching out to grab a passing general. He blinked at her before remembering himself and bowing. Euphemia spoke before he could start addressing her. "I want to speak to the leader of the JLF."

"Your highness?"

"You heard me. I want to speak to the leader of the JLF."

"You shouldn't negotiate with-"

"I don't care. It'll end this." She waved him off, brushing out her skirt. Lelouch would barely approve of this, but she was trying to save his life. Had he thought once about how she or Nunnally would feel if they lost him? And what about their other siblings? Even if Cornelia and Schneizel hated Lelouch, there had to be some part of them that remembered their little brother. And, she was saving them from becoming as bitter as Lelouch after killing so many of their siblings.

Euphemia looked up as the screen flickered, trying to look less like a scared princess and more like an empress. She had to be able to do this, she had to be worthy of the trust that Lelouch placed in her. Euphemia waited until the image on the screen cleared, stepping a bit closer. "I am Euphemia li Britannia. Am I addressing the head of the Japanese Liberation Front?"

"You are." The man gave a slow nod, the only show of deference she was going to get. "I am General Katase."

"I thank you for your time. It's unfortunate that we don't have longer to discuss the terms."

"Terms?"

Euphemia nodded. "Right now you have my bother, the emperor, pinned down and you're ready to kill him. I won't let that stand. So I'm going to offer you a deal, something that we can work out when we both have more time."

"A deal? Surely your brother does not-"

"My brother knows nothing of this." Euphemia bit her lip, trying to think everything through as quickly as possible. Playing the part of the Demon Emperor, Lelouch wouldn't be happy knowing about this. It would be in character for him to kill her, so it would be best if she kept it secret. She shook her head, pushing her shoulders back. "And he will never know. He may be my brother, but that does not mean that I blindly follow him."

"Then why are you working so hard to save him?"

"Because he is my brother, and a part of my family." Euphemia paused after that, ducking her head. "And I just can't stand to sit back and watch any longer. I want to stop this war before more people have to die."

Katase stared at her, Euphemia feeling his gaze on her. She trembled, biting her lip to keep herself from sobbing. How long did Lelouch have before those Knightmares started firing on him? Was he already dead by now? What would she tell Nunnally if that happened?

"Forgive me if I don't believe you right away, Princess Euphemia." She looked up at that, staring at the general as he sighed. "But you're going to have to prove that this isn't just a ploy before I give any orders."

Euphemia's heart pounded faster, her mouth going dry. She didn't have the power to give them anything that they wanted, and General Katase probably knew that. What he wanted her to do was go against her brother's orders, which would probably get her killed. But if she succeeded, they would still win. There had to be a way to turn this, but she didn't have the time to think about it, she wasn't as good at this as Lelouch. She just needed something impressive enough that they could still keep control of.

"Knight of the Round." She blurted out the words, only realizing that she had spoke a moment later. Euphemia cleared her throat, attempting to get herself back together. "One of the Japanese could become a Knight of the Round. But it would have to be our choice."

"How would that help us?"

"If he can become the Knight of One, then he has the right to choose an Area and take over administration. Being Japanese, he would choose Area 11. If we can convince my brother, we could do anything to essentially freeing Japan. It would take a while, but it's better than war."

General Katase looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling and shaking his head, Euphemia fighting back the urge to cry. She had tried her best and failed. She reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, not wanting to appear weak before the leader of the JLF, freezing when she heard him laugh.

Euphemia looked up, about to snap at him for mocking her, only to have her mouth fall open as the general calmed himself. "If only you had taken the throne instead of your brother. It's a deal, Princess. Give us our knight and your brother will live."

"It'll take a few days, the others have to get here and-" She cut herself off, aware that she was giving too much away and wasting time. "I will try and contact you every day."

"Of course. We will talk about this plan of yours when there's a Japanese Knight of the Round." The screen turned off, Euphemia staring at it before stumbling back to collapse onto the throne, aware of how much she was shaking. She ignored the surprised shouts from the generals in the room, taking deep breaths as she calmed herself down, all the while smiling.

She had done it, she had managed to save Lelouch on her own. And she was going to end this long, drawn out war. It would take some time and careful planning on their parts, Lelouch had to pretend to stay out of this as long as possible, but here was a way to get Japan back under the sway of the Britannian government. Then Lelouch wouldn't have to continue to make people hate him, he wouldn't have to fake his own death for his cause. Then he would be safe.

Euphemia took a deep breath to steady herself before sitting up straight. "I want reports from those companies who are moving towards the emperor."

"Of course your highness. But what if…"

She looked at the man, shaking her head slowly before letting it fall back against the throne. "We determine if we reacted too late. If we did, we continue."

"But, my lady-"

"We won't punish them for our mistakes." Euphemia reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, trying to keep calm. "Please keep me informed of the situation."

"Yes, your highness."

She relaxed when they went back to their work, trying to calm herself down and stop her tears. She couldn't appear weak and girly now, Lelouch was the only reason that they were listening to her. Euphemia leaned back in the throne, tightening her fingers on the armrest. Now it was just a matter of waiting.

* * *

His breath was really loud, almost as loud as his heart. Suzaku swallowed, trying to break up the ragged sound of his breath. He readjusted his grip on the gun, keeping it aimed at the one Knightmare right in front of him. One bullet wouldn't do much, but it was the threat that counted. Suzaku swallowed again, trying to keep himself calm and to keep from shaking. Lelouch was still clinging to his leg, the most important thing was to keep the emperor calm and alive.

But why weren't they doing anything? Suzaku shifted his grip, swaying slightly in place. He had been standing here for what felt like a minute and they still hadn't fired. After all of this effort it didn't make sense to just let him go, unless they were just enjoying watching Lelouch cower.

Suzaku risked a glance down at the emperor, meeting Lelouch's gaze. The emperor was staring up at him, still clinging to his leg. They stared at each other for a moment before Suzaku jerked his gaze back up to the Knightmares with a shiver.

And the Knightmares were still just standing there, guns raised and aimed right at them.

"Your highness, now would be the best time to get to the-" He froze as the Knightmares move, his mouth falling open as they all began to fall back. "What?"

Suzaku looked around, watching as the Knightmares that had entered the ravine fell back as well. He double checked the area around him, turning as much as Lelouch's grip would allow to make sure they were clear before falling to his knees.

The gun tumbled out of his hand and landed on the ground, Lelouch letting go of his leg and rolling onto his back. Suzaku glanced down at him and gave a breathy laugh, swaying in place before nearly falling over. He caught himself with his hands at the last minute, still laughing.

"You idiot!" Suzaku stopped laughing when Lelouch punched him in the shoulder, staring down at the emperor while he panted for breath. Lelouch propped himself up on his elbows, continuing to glare at Suzaku. "Don't do that!"

"But…it's my duty."

"Your duty be damned! You don't have to protect me!" Lelouch's eyes widened and he turned away, Suzaku frowning and leaning forward. Lelouch glanced up at him out of the corner of his eye, clearing his throat. "Why did you do that? And don't tell me it was about duty."

Suzaku rocked backwards, smiling. "I came from nowhere and I have nothing, that should tell you enough. I'm not important or special, not compared to the Emperor of Britannia."

Lelouch turned to look at him again, Suzaku expecting to be called an idiot. He didn't expect Lelouch to reach up and grab a hold of his head. His eyes widened, Suzaku opening his mouth to ask what Lelouch was doing before he was pulled down, their lips meeting.

He tensed at the first contact, his mouth still open, although it was more from the shock that Lelouch would actually kiss him than anything else. Suzaku remained tense as one of Lelouch's hands dropped from his head to rest on his shoulder, the fingers of the other hand tangling in Suzaku's hair. He frowned and was about to jerk his head back when Lelouch swept his tongue into Suzaku's mouth, Suzaku twitching before suddenly relaxing as Lelouch's hand brushed over a spot on the back of his neck that made him moan, much to his embarrassment.

Suzaku's eyes widened as he heard an answering moan, trying to decide whether he should pull away or remain where he was. But it was really hard to think when Lelouch was tilting his head to the side and stroking that spot on his neck. Suzaku shuddered before letting himself respond to the kiss, feeling a bit awkward as his lips moved against Lelouch's. He hadn't really done this before, just a few kisses, mostly on the cheek, with girls and that one that Milly had forced upon him when he had been fourteen. He had never kissed a guy before or even thought about guys this way, but he hadn't really thought of girls this way either. Cecile mostly blamed that on Lloyd's influence.

A swipe of Lelouch's tongue across the top of his mouth coupled with a stroke of his neck had Suzaku trembling and forgetting what he had just been thinking about. He unlocked his elbows, letting himself rest on top of Lelouch. One hand went to rest by the emperor's head, both of them pulling back to gasp for air at that moment. Suzaku only allowed them a moment to stare at each other before he was lowering his head again, catching Lelouch's lips for another kiss. Suzaku felt Lelouch shiver, mourning the loss of Lelouch's hand on his head as the emperor wrapped his arms around Suzaku's shoulders, pulling him closer.

Some part of his mind was still worrying over the fact that he was kissing a guy, but the rest of him was too busy taking it how good it felt to be kissing Lelouch, how good it felt to be lying over him. "Lelouch…"

"Your majesty!" Suzaku's eyes snapped open and he rolled off of Lelouch, snatching up the gun as the shout bounced off the walls of the ravine. He raised the gun, watching one end of the ravine carefully.

He didn't relax as the Knightmare Frames rolled into view, keeping his gun aimed steadily at the lead Knightmare. Suzaku glanced down at Lelouch, taking one hand from the gun to motion for the emperor to stay down, freezing as the Knightmares rolled to a stop. Suzaku found himself holding his breath as he waited for the pilots to show themselves, raising his gun to the appropriate level. This could just be ruse by the JLF to kill the emperor, he couldn't risk letting his guard down until he was sure that no harm would come to Lelouch.

Suzaku let out a long sigh of relief as recognizably Britannian pilots began to scramble down from their Knightmares, lowering his gun and offering a hand to Lelouch. To his surprise, the emperor took it, smiling briefly at him before turning to face the approaching Britannians. Suzaku lowered the gun, looking around for a place to put it and spotting the incom on the ground. He smiled sheepishly and settled it back in place, tapping the side of it to see if it was still working.

"SUZAKU!" He jumped at the shout, Lelouch looking back at him with an amused expression before going back to ordering the pilots around. Suzaku winced and placed his hand against the incom again.

"I'm here, Miss. Cecile."

"Thank God." He heard her sigh and the faint sound of her flopping back in her seat. "I've been calling you for a while. The Lancelot-"

"I know." He turned to look at the Knightmare Frame, taking in the damage it had suffered. "The energy filler is drained completely and it's pretty badly damaged. You'll need to have someone pick it up, I'm not sure it'll make the trip back down…"

"Suzaku, what did you do?"

"My duty." He flinched at those words, remembering how Lelouch had reacted. He blushed a second later, turning away to hide the flush on his cheeks. The kiss had probably just been the rush of adrenaline that had followed their near death experience, and nothing more. "The emperor found himself in a dangerous situation and I arrived to help him."

Cecile sighed again. "Lloyd's not going to be happy about this."

"I know. I'll find some way to make it up to him."

"Suzaku." He turned back to see Lelouch gesturing for him to follow, Suzaku hesitating before nodding.

"The Lancelot is exactly where it ran out of power. I've got to go." He turned off the incom, hurrying to fall into step right behind Lelouch as the emperor was let to the car that the Knightmares had been guarding.

Suzaku was surprised when Lelouch took his offered assistance, frowning as he helped Lelouch into the car before following after. He glanced around, glad that the driver was still outside, talking with the Knightmare pilots. "Your majesty, are you injured?"

"Hm? No." Lelouch shook his head and gave Suzaku a wry smile. "Just tired." There was a long pause as Lelouch stared at him, Suzaku twitching as the emperor slowly looked him up and down. "And there's no need for titles between us, not after all you've done."

"I'm sorry if-"

"Suzaku." Lelouch stopped him with a glare, the emperor slumping back against the seat. "You saved my life and attempted to protect me with your own, which was one of the stupidest things I have ever seen. And…we've passed what is considered proper behavior for a guard and his lord. Call me Lelouch."

"I…"

"That's an order."

Suzaku smiled, nodding as he settled back. "Yes, Lelouch."

"Good." The emperor closed his eyes with a sigh. "And don't do anything like that again, you're the one competent guard that I have. Let someone else be suicidal."

He nodded, not sure if he could verbally agree to that. Suzaku shifted slightly to the side, watching, Lelouch's reflection in the window. He wasn't sure what to do at all now, the Lancelot would be undergoing repairs for a few days, which meant that Lloyd would refuse to see him, and he had kissed Lelouch of his own free will. And Lelouch hadn't seemed to mind. Suzaku sighed and rested his head against the window. Of all the times for him to finally show some interest in someone, it had to be the one person that he had to lose.

* * *

Cornelia stormed through the hallways of the JLF headquarters, ignoring the angry glares from the rest of the Elevens that populated the base. It wasn't her fault that they had been ordered to pull away, it wasn't her fault that someone had screwed up the plan. But they all acted like that was the story that had been circulating around. She narrowed her eyes, heading back towards the command room. General Katase would still be there, and they would discuss why he had ordered her back with the rest and had given the command to shoot her if she resisted. And, if he couldn't provide her with a satisfactory answer, she would speak with Schneizel and decide how to get out of here.

If they weren't going to help them get rid of Lelouch, then the JLF could just flounder in this war of theirs.

She barely waited for the door to open, stepping through and glaring at Katase, ignoring all of the proper protocol. His subordinates were obviously shocked by her behavior, but the general himself didn't seem to care, Katase turning around and smiling at her. "Ah, Princess Cornelia, I was wondering when you would get here."

Cornelia narrowed her eyes. "Why did you bring me to Area 11?"

"To win the war with the emperor, of course."

"Then why did you order us not to fire? We had him trapped!"

General Katase just chuckled, leaning back on the table. "We had to alter your plan slightly. Don't worry, the news will spread around the base soon enough."

"What news?"

"That you managed to force the Britannians into a situation where they had to speak with us. And we've got ourselves a deal." Cornelia took a step back, Katase grinning at her. "We have agreed to talk with a certain representative within the Britannian government to make sure that things start going our way, or that thing start to smooth out between us. In any case, we have the advantage."

"How?"

"They've promised to put a Japanese knight in the Rounds." Cornelia stared at him as she processed this information, Katase taking her silence as incomprehension. "In exchange for the life of the emperor, they demanded the rights to achieve peace through talking. To gain our trust, they allowed for the presence of a Japanese knight."

"The emperor chooses the Knights of the Round."

Katase kept smiling, Cornelia suddenly feeling that both she and Schneizel had been outmaneuvered. "But we know someone close to him that is Japanese, the boy that defended him."

"Suzaku Kururugi?" She didn't know why the boy's name had stuck with her, maybe because he had reminded her of Guilford somewhat.

"Yes. All we care about is that he's Japanese. Once he's there, the people will start trying to better their position. And, all the while, we'll be winning our freedom back."

Cornelia shook her head, finally snapping out of her shock. "Lelouch will know what you're doing. He won't allow you that."

"But it isn't Lelouch we are dealing with. He wouldn't have given us the chance in the first place. It was Princess Euphemia."

"No."

"Yes. She wanted to save her brother."

Cornelia shook her head. "No, you can't do this. He'll kill her if he finds out!"

"Then we'll have a martyr for our cause, the princess who just wanted peace and was murdered by her brother. That should be enough justification for either the EU or the Chinese Federation to come help us."

She stared at him, Katase bowing to her before turning back to address his subordinates in Japanese, leaving Cornelia with a sick feeling in her stomach. She was trapped, and the JLF were using her, her and Schneizel. And they were about to sacrifice Euphy as well.


	9. Chapter 9

** Chapter Nine **

_August 23, 2017_

Everything ground to a halt after Narita, both sides taking the chance to pull back and repair their forces. It was just a temporary stalemate where both sides had nothing to do, and it was driving Suzaku crazy.

He stared up at the ceiling of Lelouch's room, letting out a long sigh. He couldn't go to the A.S.E.E.C hangar, because Lloyd had come to tell him on no uncertain terms would he be talking to Suzaku again after what the pilot had done to his precious Lancelot. Cecile had come around later to warn him off for a few days, just to give Lloyd time to recover and actually start to miss him. Which meant that he was stuck in the administrative building with Lelouch at a time when they were acting awkwardly with each other. Lelouch hadn't made a move to kiss him again, but he had been looking at him, those same contemplative looks that made Suzaku shiver. That coupled with the fact that he hadn't gotten much sleep the last two nights wasn't helping him at all.

Suzaku turned to look at the emperor's bed as he heard a soft whimper, sighing again before sliding out from under his blanket. He couldn't sleep for two reasons, the first being his constant worry that everything he was doing was changing the future too much. Lelouch's nightmares were the second thing.

He had sat through the first of them, the ones that had kept the emperor tossing and turning as they had made their way back to the Tokyo Settlement. But when Lelouch had kept writhing and whimpering, he had lost his patience and went to wake the emperor up. He had been surprised to hear his name muttered just before Lelouch woke up. There had been another one of those awkward moments where Lelouch just clung to him before the emperor and slipped back to sleep, only to suffer from another nightmare.

Suzaku shuffled to the edge of Lelouch's bed, flopping down onto it and reaching out to poke Lelouch's shoulder. That's all it took for Lelouch to wake up, usually by the time he was making noises, he was already partially awake.

As expected, Lelouch jolted upright, Suzaku staring at him from his partially sprawled position on the bed. "I hope that I get paid extra for this."

Lelouch stared at him, still shaking. Suzaku frowned and pushed himself upright, it usually didn't take too long for Lelouch to snap back to reality after the dreams. He reached out to touch Lelouch's shoulder, the emperor flinching away from him for a moment. Then Lelouch's eyes widened, Lelouch throwing back the covers and wrapping his arms around Suzaku. "Daiki!"

Suzaku was nearly knocked off the bed, scrambling to keep his balance with Lelouch holding him so close. He frowned as he thought he heard Lelouch mutter something in Japanese before pressing closer to him, Suzaku swallowing nervously.

He both hated and loved the times that Lelouch would cling to him, then it seemed just so easy to just slip his fingers under Lelouch's chin and just kiss him again, just to get all thoughts of kissing Lelouch out of his head. But he knew the limits of what he could do, Lelouch didn't like to be touched and Suzaku was expected to just sit there and take it, then pretend like it never happened in the first place.

He looked down at a soft sound of distress, catching a glimpse of Lelouch's face caught between embarrassment and the usual mask. The emperor cleared his throat and pushed away from Suzaku, still blushing as he stretched. Suzaku leaned forward a bit just to be sure that he saw a blush before sliding out of the bed, making sure to bow. "Good morning, your majesty."

"Good morning, who?"

"Yo-Lelouch." Suzaku forced the name out, staring at Lelouch's back. He swallowed before turning around, walking over to the small pile of carefully folded clothes that waited by the couch. This temporary situation to the barrack problem was turning into something more permanent. Suzaku glanced back over his shoulder at Lelouch as he stripped off his shirt. Of course, in the light of what happened at Narita, this might be Lelouch's way of giving into his urges, keeping Suzaku away from the people who would try to harm him as well as keeping him close.

Suzaku shrugged to himself, pulling his shirt over his head before running a hand through his hair, settling it into some kind of order before continuing to get dressed. He could feel Lelouch's gaze on him occasionally, Suzaku rolling his eyes. It was obvious that Lelouch just wanted him close for the sake of keeping him close, that way no one could get to his precious guard. Suzaku bit his lip to keep from making a noise of disgust. If Lelouch wanted him so badly, why didn't he just do something instead of just stare? Didn't being the emperor mean that he could just take what he wanted when he wanted it. It didn't matter that Suzaku was an Eleven, Lelouch could probably talk his way out of that too.

He paused in the middle of pulling on a boot, staring at the floor. But the question was if he would allow it. After all, Lelouch's days were numbered and Suzaku knew that he would have trouble letting go of him if they took that step forward. He had enough problems before, all because of the fact that he had lost his mother at a young age, and because he had watched her go. He had pretended to be brave when he had gone to school after Cecile had adopted him, but he had spend the first month afraid that he would walk out of school and she would be gone.

Suzaku looked up as he heard Lelouch moving around the room, quickly standing up and walking over to his place by the door. He didn't have time to think over his issues, he had a job to do. Suzaku tipped his head to the side, watching as Lelouch carefully made his way around the room, trying his best not to twitch as the emperor strayed too close to the chess table. They had been locked up either in here or in the study for the past two days, Lelouch either slaving over his papers or playing chess against himself. Suzaku wasn't sure that he could take another day being cooped up.

Thankfully, Lelouch didn't seem interested in doing that, the emperor giving him a quick glance before walking towards the door. Suzaku fell into step behind him, frowning as Lelouch turned and walked further into the residential portion of the administrative building. He tried to figure out where they were going from the half formed mental map of the building, blushing when they reached their destination.

Lost in thought, he stopped a stride too close to Lelouch, the emperor turning around and the two of them almost kissing against because of their proximity to each other. Suzaku's eyes widened, but he didn't back away, staring at Lelouch and waiting for his orders. To his surprise, Lelouch glanced down at his lips before reaching up to push Suzaku away, turning around to knock on the door. Euphemia's voice called him in immediately after Lelouch stopped knocking, Suzaku waiting for the emperor to step into the room only to be stopped. "Don't come in."

"What?"

"Go somewhere else. Anywhere but where I am."

"Your majesty, I-"

"That's an order, Suzaku. Do it before I decide that you're better off in the barracks." Lelouch stepped through the door and shut it behind him before Suzaku could respond.

At a loss of what to do, Suzaku took a step to the side and stood by the door for a moment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to hold back a laugh. The Royal Guards had been completely destroyed at Narita, he was the only one left; their barracks wasn't a place of fear for him anymore. Then again, another group could have taken over those barracks, and they would be sure to make his life miserable. No one knew the official story of what had happened at Narita yet, but they were probably wondering why an Eleven had managed to make it out of the battle alive when all of the Britannians in his squad had died.

Going back to the barracks was impossible at this point, it would just be him wasting time until Lelouch called for him again. The A.S.E.E.C was still closed to him as well, Suzaku wanting to give Lloyd his customary three days before he dared to show up. By then, Lloyd would grudgingly admit that he wanted Suzaku around, if just to test drive his inventions.

Suzaku sighed, allowing himself to slump. There was really nothing for him to do then, not with the order from Lelouch. He paused for a moment to wonder why he was suddenly so comfortable with just obeying he orders that he was given before he shook his head. It would be better to leave before Lelouch checked outside to make sure that he was gone, although Suzaku didn't know what he would do then.

He pushed away from the wall, staring at the floor for a moment before deciding to retrace his steps back to Lelouch's room. He would waste some time straightening out his things, and perhaps moving them further behind the couch, just to keep them out of sight. They wouldn't want anyone thinking that they were… Suzaku blushed at the implication, reaching up to rub the back of his neck only to drop his hand back down, remembering the shivers that had run through his body when Lelouch had touched there.

Suzaku bit his lip, it was perhaps too late to dispel that rumor, if there even was one going around. They already spent so much time in each other's presence, but that was because of his job. Even then it was obvious that Lelouch favored him over others, even before the Royal Guard had been reduced to one. And he was sure that he was the only member of the Royal Guard that Lelouch had kissed, at least he was reasonably sure that he was the only one. Even then, he had no right getting jealous over Lelouch, because there was nothing between them.

He looked up from the carpet at the sound of someone coming down the hall, taking a step to the side and bowing as Nunnally steered herself into the corridor. He expected her to pass by, his eyes widening as he heard the wheelchair stop by him.

"You can stand up now." Suzaku stood, surprised when she smiled at him. Nunnally took a short moment to look around him. "Where's my brother?"

"His majesty and Princess Euphemia are talking."

"They seem to be doing that a lot lately." Nunnally gave a sad sigh, brightening up the next moment. Suzaku watched her in awe. This was the young woman who had grown up to be empress in his time, and he believed that she could do it now, just the way she smiled. Being able to smile that brightly while stuck in a wheelchair had to be a sign of some inner strength.

Suzaku jumped as she reached out to take his hand, unsure if he should let her have it or jerk it back. Unsure of what to do, he let her run her fingers over the top of his hand before resting them on his palm before nodding to herself, not sure of what conclusion she had come to. Nunnally looked up at him, releasing his hand. "It looks like I'll be having lunch alone again. Could you escort me up to the gardens? Jeremiah is waiting up there for me already, although I'll have to tell him that Euphy isn't coming."

"I could-"

"No, it's fine. They're busy." Suzaku saw the smile on her face waver for a moment before it returned full force. "Besides, Lelouch would worry about me getting heat exhaustion and Euphy would get bored. Her lover is back." Nunnally giggled, pressing one hand over her mouth. "Big brother wouldn't like it if he found out that I knew, so let's just forget I said that."

"Yes, my lady." He reached out to take a hold of the wheelchair, carefully rolling it forward and heading towards the elevator that would take them up to the roof. The gardens were the one place that he was sure about after spending so much time here. It was the place that Lelouch had met with his sisters to eat and talk, at least until Narita had happened. Now he was spending at lot of his time with Euphemia.

Suzaku tipped his head to the side, trying to remember what the history books had to say about Princess Euphemia. He remembered them mentioning her, but assumed that, because she wasn't a big power during this time, they had left her out in favor of exploring the politics.

He sighed and maneuvered Nunnally into the elevator, reaching up to press the button that would take them to the roof. He supposed it didn't matter, he had probably changed a good section of the world's history. For all he knew, Euphemia would be the next empress. Not that he didn't trust her to do a good job, what little he had seen of her he guessed that she would be just as kind. But some part of him felt horrible for taking the chance to show that she was more than a girl in a wheelchair away from Nunnally.

He jumped as he felt her fingers rest on top of his again, looking down at her. She was frowning, still staring straight ahead, but running her fingers over the back of his hand. "What's wrong?"

Suzaku stared at her before clearing his throat, he would find out about how she had known later, it was not his place to question royalty. "Just thinking."

He yawned, flushing when he only managed to partially smother it. Nunnally tipped her head to the side. "Tired?"

"Yes." Suzaku reached up with his freehand to rub his eye. "I've been having trouble sleeping. But that's nothing for you to worry about, my lady."

She finally turned around to look at him. "You're so young, both you and my brother. Too young for this."

"M-my lady?"

She laughed, settling back in her seat as the doors to the elevator opened up. Suzaku wheeled her out, pushing her towards the garden. He glanced around to check to see if they were safe before concentrating on pushing the wheelchair over the gravel path.

"Is he having nightmares again?" Suzaku froze for a moment, grunting as he had to throw his weight behind the wheelchair again to get it moving. "He had them after we got back from Japan when Britannia first invaded."

"Anyone would." Suzaku hung his head, straining to move the wheelchair over a particularly difficult bump before the path evened out. "Nunnally, who is Daiki?"

She tensed at the mention of the name. "H-how do you know about him?"

"Lelouch called me that this morning." He cleared his throat, blushing. "When I woke him up this morning. He called me that and then hugged me."

"Oh." Nunnally hummed to herself, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "After our mother was killed, he tried to force our father to look into it, but Father just sent us away as political hostages to Japan. We stayed with the Sumeragi's then, they had two children about our age, Kaguya and Daiki. Kaguya tended to stay away from us, she was afraid, but Daiki and my brother became inseparable…until the Britannians invaded. My father didn't care that we were still there."

"But you two got out."

"Yes, but only because a noble family risked their reputation to get us back. The Ashfords." Suzaku stared at her, Nunnally seemingly unaware of his stare. "But that was after weeks of trudging through fields of dead people, yes, we did get out."

"And your friend?"

"Dead. He defended us against a group of armed Britannian soldiers and was shot down." Nunnally gave a shaky sigh. "I wasn't there, they had found a hiding place for the night and were out looking for food. Britannians found them…Lelouch wasn't the same after that, his laugh changed."

"So that's why…"

"I never thanked you," Nunnally spoke up, "for saving his life."

"It's my job."

"Not when we're the ones invading your country. So, thank you." She gestured to the left, Suzaku taking that turn and coming to a stop beside a small table. He nodded at Jeremiah, ignoring the shocked look on the man's face before taking a step back. "I'll be dining alone, Jeremiah, big brother and Euphy are busy at the moment."

"His majesty is actually out and about today. Good." Jeremiah shot him a long look, Suzaku freezing before bowing.

"I'll be leaving, princess, unless you need me for anything else."

"No, go back to my brother. Stick close no matter what he says. And, if he tries to send you away, tell him I told you to do so." She smiled at him. "Tell him his little sister is worried about him."

Suzaku hesitated before bowing and backing away from the table, turning to walk back down the path. So that was the reason that Lelouch had panicked when he had gone to protect him, not that Suzaku could blame him. Watching your friend get shot down would cause that reaction, and for some reason it made Suzaku feel bad for making him suffer that trauma again. He rolled his shoulders, pushing that thought aside at the same time. At least he had something to do now.

* * *

Lelouch leaned back against the door, pressing his head back against it. Suzaku would probably still be out there now, standing guard like a good little soldier. He bit back a laugh before pushing away. Then again, he might actually listen to the orders that he had been given and walk away. For now, he just wanted Suzaku to stay away from him. He wanted to be able to think without second guessing himself because he was worried about what Suzaku would do if his plans went wrong.

It wasn't like he was thinking of just Suzaku all the time and he couldn't think of anything else, he was quite capable of that. Suzaku just kept sneaking into his other thoughts, making him want to alter his plans all because of one guard.

He ran a hand over his face, jumping when Euphemia placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Are you alright now?"

"I've been fine."

"Then why didn't you…" She trailed off as he glared at her, Euphemia dropping her hand from his shoulder and shrugging before going to sit on her bed. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes." He pushed away from the door and sat down in a chair, watching Euphemia for a long moment before speaking again. "At Narita, the JLF surrendered. Why?"

"Lelouch, you really want to talk about that? Technically we won."

"Technically they should have shot me dead." Lelouch tried to keep his voice even, but there was an obvious wobble. He swallowed and looked away from Euphemia, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down, but all he could think of was Suzaku standing over him, protecting him against the onslaught of Knightmares.

"Lelouch? Lelouch." He jumped as he felt Euphemia touch him, looking down at his half sister. She smiled before reaching down to take his shaking hands. "You're alright. You're safe."

"That's not the problem."

"Then what is?" Lelouch shook his head, the move earning an irritated sigh from Euphemia. He dropped his gaze to the ground as she stood up, listening to her move around the room. "Well, if you're not going to talk about it, at least do something for Suzaku. He's probably earned a raise or promotion by now, especially with his information about Narita and his actions."

Lelouch flinched and curled further into the chair, wrapping his arms around himself. He could still see Suzaku calmly standing over him, facing the Knightmares with nothing but a handgun, making his offer of protection.

"Lelouch!" He jerked back to reality, meeting Euphemia's gaze. She shook her head and walked towards the door. "You're not alright. I'll get someone to go down to the kitchens to make you lunch and Suzaku can escort you back to your room. Business can wait for another day."

"It's waited long enough."

"Lelouch, you can barely talk to me without shaking! And it looks like you haven't slept for days." Lelouch turned away, curling further into the chair. He heard Euphemia sigh. "Just talk to me then."

He relaxed a fraction at that, he was nearly back in control now. Lelouch closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the backrest of the chair. "Suzaku isn't getting promoted."

"What? Why not? Is this just some part of that role you're forcing yourself to play?"

"No. It's…for his own good. He takes his duty too seriously."

"When it comes to you, Lelouch, someone has to."

"He offered himself as a shield!" Lelouch sat up, staring at Euphemia before slumping in the chair again. "He was willing to let himself die so that I would live a few more seconds."

She sighed and patted his shoulder, Lelouch twitching and trying to get away from the touch. He didn't want her comfort, she didn't understand. She just thought that he had lost a friend, she couldn't comprehend what had happened.

He had watched his friend get brutally shot down for him, because of him. Daiki wouldn't have done that if he wasn't a prince, if he hadn't impressed that fact upon Daiki. Lelouch could still remember the honesty in Daiki's voice when he had promised to be Lelouch's knight forever, and Lelouch hadn't had the heart to say that it wasn't possible, that he wasn't even a prince anymore. If he had just done that, maybe Daiki wouldn't have thought to stand in front of him when those soldiers had appeared.

And then Suzaku, stupid, well meaning, Suzaku had gone and done the same thing. He had faced down Knightmares for his sake, the sake of an emperor that he hardly knew and was bent on subduing his country and had even offered his body for a shield. The reasoning for that was beyond him. He had just been distracted by Suzaku's green eyes, the eyes that were so much like Daiki's.

"Lelouch," she reached up to tilt his head up, "it's alright. He's still alive."

"That's not it." He slapped her hand away, glaring at her. "I'm keeping him close and low because I don't want him to get hurt."

Euphemia sighed and stood up, straightening her skirt before walking over to her bed and sitting down. "Well, I can't allow you to do that."

"What?"

"I had to make a deal with the JLF to get them to call the ceasefire. They asked for a show of our integrity before they would actually talk with us." He stared at her, Euphemia ducking her head. "I didn't know what else to do, Lelouch, I couldn't just let you die. I've probably ruined everything, but I can't go back on them without the JLF lashing out."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, shifting in his seat. This was a welcome distraction from the growing problem that Suzaku was posing. He folded his hands together, leaning forward and closing his eyes. "No, this is good. We can work around this."

"W-we can?"

"I should have thought of this before, you need to start showing yourself as against me in subtle ways so that they won't think twice when you take the throne. This is a start." Lelouch opened his eyes, watching Euphemia carefully. "You'll continue talks with them and act on your own, but I want to know about everything, just to be sure that they aren't lying."

Euphemia winced, Lelouch tensing at the motion. She wasn't good at lying, which would probably be something that they would try to use against her. He shifted in his seat, waiting for her to speak again. They would have to work this out carefully, and make sure that Euphemia could get everything that she needed while appearing to be working under his nose. If they could get the people to believe that she was their savior, then he might have a chance of passing the throne to her without a problem. Then the legislation from her would be more believable.

"What do they want for your show of sincerity?

Euphemia swallowed and looked down at the floor, taking the time to smooth out wrinkles on her skirt. "They wanted someone Japanese in a high position, one that no Japanese has ever held before."

"That's simple."

"I promised them a Knight of the Round."

Lelouch tilted his head to the side, considering the idea for a moment before shrugging. "A bit more difficult, but it'll serve my purpose."

"You don't understand, Lelouch." She finally looked up at him, Lelouch taken aback by the determination on her face. "I'm not going to give them a way to assassinate you easily. It'll have to be someone that we both trust but can play the part."

"I'm sure that there are a number of Elevens that we can screen for-"

"I want Suzaku." He stared up at her as Euphy crossed her arms, obviously trying to look imposing. Lelouch swallowed and shook his head, continuing to shake it until she reached down to hold his head in place. "Lelouch, listen to me, he's perfect. He's the only person you've let get this close to you and he's good enough to be a member of the Rounds in the first place."

"No."

"He's loyal, we know that we can trust him."

"I said no!" Lelouch stood up, the motion making Euphemia step away from him. To his surprise, she didn't retreat more than that one step, staring up at him and attempting a glare to match his.

"I'm not discussing this, Lelouch. Even if you refuse I'll find a way to make it happen and I don't care if that sets me against you. You're too important to Nunnally and I to risk your life on a person selected at random!" Her anger faded quickly, as it always did, Euphemia taking a step forward to take one of his hands. "You can't do this to him, you can't protect him like this. He's not like Nunnally, he'll fight back and he'll hate you. Could you deal with that?"

"I am his emperor."

"You are." Euphemia let go of his hand, Lelouch staring after her as she retreated to the desk that sat in the corner of her room. He was startled to see papers strewn over the surface, Euphemia had never bothered much with the running of the empire when she had been younger, content just to play with Nunnally and himself. Lelouch didn't know what she had focused on when they had returned from Japan, he had been too busy furthering his plans of revenge by working his way into his father's good graces. Lelouch was willing to admit that Euphemia had been paying more attention to the political state of the empire when he had taken over, but that might have been for her own safety, so it was a shock that she seemed ready to throw herself back in again.

He shuffled over to her desk, watching as Euphemia sat down. For a moment the balance shifted, Euphemia acting in the way that befitted an empress and Lelouch acting like a petulant child. He frowned and straightened up, looking down at her and waiting for her to break and look away from him. To his surprise, she didn't waver, staring calmly up at him. "Suzaku is a member of the Royal Guard and, being a member of the royal family, I could use him for my own purposes."

"You can't."

"It's in my rights. I could send him back to Pendragon. There'll be some way to make sure he stays there, and you won't be able to do anything about it, not without showing your hand too soon against your own people. The only way to make sure that Suzaku stays here is to make him answerable to the emperor alone, which is to make him a part of the Rounds."

Lelouch stared at her, trying to process what he had just heard and match it with his perception of Euphemia. It didn't mesh, Euphemia was supposed to be his smiling and supportive sister, possibly a bit air headed at times but that was just her being romantic. Euphemia was not supposed to be this politically astute, that was his job alone. And she was certainly not supposed to threaten him.

He swallowed, the clever argument that he had planned out disappearing in a second. "You'd steal him from me."

"If it came down to that." She sighed and shook her head. "Lelouch, I'm just doing this for your own good. You want this plan of yours to work out and this is the best way to do it. And Nunnally and I want you safe because we love you."

"There's another way."

"No there isn't, Lelouch."

"You just haven't looked."

That stopped Euphemia, his sister sighing and slumping back in her chair. "Yes, I haven't looked because this works."

"You always look at all the options!"

"Lelouch, Suzaku will be safe and he'll be close to you, closer than before. Won't that make you happy?" He stared at her before nodding grudgingly, Euphemia smiling. "Then this is the best plan. Besides, it's not like we're giving him away to the JLF. Now, are you ready to talk reasonably about this?"

He sighed, pushing his hair of his face and nodding. He hated that she was taking on the role of the calm advisor, something that he was so used to having all of these years. But, with Suzaku around, he was losing some of his carefully gathered control. Suddenly, Suzaku was on par with the battles against the JLF and the nations of the world and Nunnally, and he didn't quite know how to balance that. And Euphemia's threat was a frightening possibility, even if she couldn't follow through, there was something out there that could take Suzaku away permanently, something that his enemies within the government could use. Perhaps it was best to make Suzaku a Knight of the Round, then only Lelouch could command him.

Lelouch shifted in place before walking back over to his chair and sitting down carefully. He pressed his fingers together, watching them tremble for a moment before he finally gained control of himself. That was considering the positives, there were other pressing things to consider, like the reaction of his own people to this. Promoting a Number further into the system, one that hadn't subjugated himself to the Honorary Britannian system would never be accepted. To make them a Knight of the Round, even if they were an Honorary Britannian would be worse. The Britannian people considered themselves better than the rest of the people in the world, thanks to his father's tireless efforts.

Even then, it would be the perfect place for Euphemia to wiggle in. The Numbers would see it as a symbol of hope for their cause and the Britannian people would just view it as the passing fancy of a girl or a way to legitimize a lover. Lelouch tensed at that before giving his head a shake, Euphemia already have a lover, she wouldn't want another one. And, if she did, she wasn't getting his guard.

He ducked his head, resting it against his fingers for a moment before heaving a sigh. "If you want to go through with this you're going to have to consider all of sides of this."

"I already have."

"Like the fact that you're going to be in close contact with Suzaku for days, despite the fact that Raleigh is here?" He raised an eyebrow as Euphemia slumped a bit. "And that you'll have to speak to me in secret, to act like you hate me."

"I've considered that, Lelouch. And we have to do it, then we can end this war."

Lelouch tipped his head to the side, watching as Euphemia fidgeted in her chair. He knew that ending a war quickly was not always the best strategy, but she just thought of it in the terms of human cost. Still, she was doing what she thought best and acting like an empress. He smiled fondly, shaking his head and looking up. "Alright, Euphy, alright."

She smiled at him before standing up quickly, walking over to the door. "We'll have to tell Suzaku then."

Lelouch stood up as well, remaining in place as Euphemia bounced over to the door. She pressed the button on the panel, the door sliding open to reveal Suzaku getting ready to knock. Lelouch bit his lip and turned his head to the side, forcing the laugh back down at the look of confusion on Suzaku's face. He calmed himself down as Euphemia invited him in, feeling his heart start to pound a bit faster as Suzaku approached. Lelouch turned his head away, watching Suzaku out of the corner of his eye as the guard fell into his usual position.

He pivoted to face Suzaku, watching as Euphemia inched closer to the guard. Lelouch tensed before forcing himself to relax. There was no need to worry about Euphemia, she was too focused on winning the JLF's trust. He could trust her around Suzaku with Raleigh in the building.

"Suzaku, we need your help." Suzaku's eyes widened, Lelouch staying silent and waiting for Euphemia to finish explaining. She looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers. "To…to save your lives, I made a deal with the JLF."

"Princess…"

"No, it was the right thing to do." Euphemia pushed her hair behind her ear. "But they promised to speak with me if I proved that I wasn't tricking them."

Suzaku glanced towards Lelouch, Lelouch smirking at that. Suzaku still would defer to him over Euphemia, so maybe her threat of taking him away wasn't as bad as he had originally though. Lelouch shook his head, motioning towards Euphemia. He would let her talk to Suzaku about this before speaking to Suzaku on his own.

"They asked for one of your kind, Japanese, to be put in a position that they would never have the chance to get into. If I can get them to talk with me, I can stop this war."

"But," Suzaku glanced at Lelouch again, "what about his majesty?"

"I'm fine with it." Lelouch took the moment to carefully sit down in his chair, Suzaku's gaze following him the entire time. "It's a valid plan of action that I don't have the time to take considering my plans. Simply put, Suzaku, I am creating myself to be a symbol of hatred to create a period of peace, something long enough to take Britannia out of its current place as a world power."

To his surprise, Suzaku didn't look shocked, the guard continuing to stare at him. Lelouch frowned at that before sighing and letting his head fall back, feigning disinterest. "And, if the peace lasts long enough, the other large superpowers will disband of their own free will or because of the pressure from their people. It's simple, really."

"Except for the part when you act like a tyrant."

Lelouch smiled at Suzaku, watching the guard shiver. "Who says it's an act?"

Suzaku shot him a glare before turning back to look at Euphemia, Lelouch relaxing. He could stand Suzaku knowing about the plan, but he wouldn't go as far to reveal the entire scheme to him. Suzaku only needed to know that he was essentially taking over the world, nothing else. The guard wasn't that important to him.

Euphemia cleared her throat, drawing Suzaku's attention back to herself. "We're going to make you a Knight of the Round." Lelouch watched as Suzaku's eyes widened, amused that the guard didn't make a move to speak. Euphemia seemed to take that as a good sign because she continued talking. "You'll be collaborating with me and then reporting to Lelouch as well. We're not going to betray them though. It has to do with Lelouch's overall plan."

Suzaku was staring at him now instead of paying attention to Euphemia, Lelouch staring right back at him evenly. What bothered him the most about this wasn't the fact that they were telling Suzaku all of this, it was the fact that Suzaku was taking it all in stride. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, he would have to talk to Suzaku again. Just why he was able to take these orders without question was something that Lelouch wanted to figure out as soon as possible, just like he had to greet the Knights of the Round. He reached up to rub his forehead, peeking out from under his fingers to watch Suzaku.

The young man turned back to Euphemia, tipping his head to the side. "And I can refuse."

"Yes."

"But Euphy wouldn't like it." Lelouch spoke up from his place in the chair, smirking as Euphemia glared at him. "She doesn't think that I can take care of myself, so she wants you to stick close to me to make sure that nothing goes wrong." He let his head loll to the side, catching Suzaku's amused expression, smiling himself. "My sisters worry about me and they think you do the best job."

Suzaku nodded slowly before bowing, Lelouch noting that he was getting better at the motion. "I accept, my lady."

"Good." Lelouch interrupted before Euphemia could speak, easing out of the chair and gesturing for Suzaku to get up. He didn't bother to see if Suzaku was following him, stepping outside of the room and staring down the hall until Suzaku had joined him. Lelouch glanced back at the guard, crossing the hall to his study and sliding the door open.

Suzaku hesitated to cross the threshold, Lelouch sitting at his desk and waiting for Suzaku to come to a decision. When the guard still hesitated, Lelouch leaned forward, resting his cheek in one of his hands. "I have other things to do, you know."

"I do." Suzaku stepped into the room, glancing at the wall behind Lelouch's desk and chuckling nervously. "But the last time I was here, I was nearly strangled."

"I can't promise that it won't happen."

"Of course not." Suzaku actually laughed at that, reaching up to rub at his throat. "You're the Demon Emperor, I can't trust your promises."

"Ah, but you don't really believe that, do you?" Lelouch leaned forward. "You don't react like the others do. Euphemia couldn't understand what I was doing when I told her and Jeremiah still doesn't fully grasp the situation. But you…you take all in stride. Why?"

"I can't tell you."

"This again."

Suzaku gave a rueful smile. "You wouldn't believe me if told you."

"And you're sticking by this story."

"I'm sorry, your-Lelouch." Suzaku shrugged. "That's all I can tell you."

Lelouch sighed and tipped his head back. "Euphemia offered you the position because she trusts you. She'd rather have you guarding me than an Eleven that has been screened and tested for his loyalty. She'd prefer you over any other."

"She's the more trusting of the two." Suzaku tipped his head to the side. "Were you ever like that?"

"Probably. But things happen, people change."

"As I see." Suzaku sighed and shook his head. "Can I try to earn your loyalty the old fashioned way?"

"Knowing what you know, that's going to be difficult." Lelouch stood up, leaning on his desk and gesturing for Suzaku to walk forward. "Because I'm not sure that I can if you keep giving out little bits of information and not telling me the source."

"Trust me?" Suzaku smiled, and Lelouch felt himself waver. He turned his head away, trying to gather back his resolve to continue this conversation. But the problem was that he did trust Suzaku, the young man had more than proven himself to Lelouch so far, but there were enough things to make Lelouch uncomfortable, like how Suzaku managed to seem like he was a step ahead of Lelouch.

He sighed, slumping. He heard Suzaku come around the table, looking up to smile up at the young man. "We'll see."

"That's not an answer."

"It's only fair." Lelouch stood up, staring down at the surface before looking over at Suzaku. The young man was entirely too close, but Lelouch couldn't bring himself to care, reaching out to touch Suzaku's cheek. To his relief, Suzaku didn't pull away, although his eyes widened. Lelouch allowed himself to caress Suzaku's cheek, telling himself that it would be easy to just pull away.

Instead, he leaned forward, stopping himself just before their lips touched, realizing that he was beginning to breathe a little faster. Lelouch swallowed, staring right into Suzaku's eyes. He really wanted to kiss Suzaku again, but now was neither the time nor the place. He had business to attend to that he had been neglecting for days and the Knights of the Round to meet with. But, then again, he had Suzaku standing still and waiting for him, and that was encouraging.

Lelouch slid his hand along Suzaku's jaw, watching the young man's eyes flutter shut, cupping the back of Suzaku's head. He took a calming breath before leaning forward, pressing his lips against Suzaku's and just leaving them there. Suzaku would have to make the next move.

To his surprise, Suzaku leaned forward, adding a bit more pressure before finally opening his mouth. Lelouch went limp at that, leaning up against Suzaku, feeling Suzaku's hands skim down his sides before settling on his waist.

Suzaku pulled away moments later, Lelouch frowning as the guard straightened up again. At least Suzaku's hands were still on his waist. He hummed to himself and leaned back, pushing away from Suzaku. "I should probably stop."

"Yes, you shouldn't just kiss anyone."

"You're right." But that didn't stop him from leaning forward again, Suzaku meeting him halfway.

* * *

Gino paused in the middle of lining up his shot, staring out over the pool stick to where Anya Alstriem sat in one of the chairs, hesitating before straightening up and walking around the table, tossing his pool cue to Raleigh. He ignored the annoyed shout that the man gave, preferring to lean over the back of the chair and stare down at his fellow knight. "Come on, Anya."

"I already said no."

"It's just one game of pool. It'll be fun."

"Fun?" Anya paused, looking up from the screen of her diary to stare at him. "Aren't I having fun already?"

"Not alone over here." Gino turned to look over his shoulder Bismarck and Raleigh were standing by the pool table, Luciano lurking back in a corner. Gino forced back a shiver at the sight of the Knight of Ten, Luciano always set him on edge. Off on the other side of the room, Dorthea and Nonnette both engrossed in the books that they had brought to the common room, leaving Monica to languish by the bar. The Knight of Two was probably still in his room, preferring to stay still because of the broken arm that he had sustained in Area 18, which accounted for all of them, save the three that they lost.

Gino sighed and leaned over the back of the chair again, poking Anya's shoulder. "Come on. I'm sure you'll win."

"Winning doesn't matter."

"What are you talking about?"

Anya turned to look at him, speaking in the same deadpan voice that she always talked in. "It isn't a battle, so the outcome doesn't matter."

"Gino," he looked up as Nonnette looked up from her book, flinching under the steady gaze of the Knight of Nine. "Leave her alone." Her voice softened for a moment. "It's one of those days."

He nodded and stepped away, but still hovered close. Anya was the only one of the Rounds that he could count as even close to a friend. The other women were to serious for his liking and the rest of the men had the same flaw, except for Luciano. Luciano just enjoyed killing too much for Gino's taste. But Anya was different, even with her constant blank expression Gino could enjoy a day spent with her, at least when she wasn't suffering from her memory condition.

He didn't know much about Anya's past, just that she had been living at the Aries Villa at the time when Empress Marianne had been murdered, and that Anya had seen it happen. Not that the girl remembered any of it. The doctors said that it was the trauma that she had suffered that had made her forget, and the trauma was blamed again for the days when she would struggle to remember the littlest thing. It was the reason behind the digital diary that she carried around. Not matter how much she tried to hide it, Gino could tell that not being able to remember whole days at a time frightened her.

"Gino!" He waved at Raleigh, skipping his turn again to stay close to Anya, turning to look over his shoulder as he heard the Knight of Five scoff. "I'm with you, I'm sick of staying in here. We've been in here two days already and no word from the emperor."

"He's busy." Gino shrugged. "He's got an empire to rule. We should be patient and take this chance to relax."

"Relax all you want, Gino." Raleigh bent over the table, knocking the cue ball into the eight ball, flinching when the ball didn't roll into the pocket. "Personally, I prefer the field."

"Aw, and here I thought that you wanted to get back to your princess." Monica stuck her tongue out at Raleigh as he turned around, smiling when the Knight of Five turned his back again.

"Yes. That is one redeeming factor of acting as guard for the emperor."

"You don't have to hide it, Raleigh." Monica leaned forward, smirking at him. "We all know it's love. Maybe you'll even convince the emperor to let you marry her."

Raleigh blushed and turned back to the table, muttering something under his breath.

Gino watched the exchange with the customary smile on his face, straightening up when he heard the door to the common room slide open. So the Knight of Two had decided to haul himself out of his misery? Gino chuckled to himself before turning around. "Finally decided to join-Your majesty!"

He dropped into a bow, hearing the rustling of cloth as the other knights in the room followed suit. Gino looked up as he heard the emperor clear his throat, glancing up at Lelouch. He looked back down as Bismarck rose from the floor, waiting a moment before rising himself. A quick glance showed that the other knights had followed suit, Raleigh taking a moment to toss the pool cue back on the table. He shook his head, looking back over at the emperor and freezing as he saw the young man standing behind him.

Gino glanced over at Bismarck, seeing confusion flash across his face at the sight of the young man before the Knight of One recovered. "It's good to see you, your majesty." Lelouch just raised an eyebrow, a typical response from Lelouch. Bismarck cleared his throat. "We have been hearing rumors about the battle at Narita."

"What are those rumors?"

Gino tensed, fixing his gaze on something else in the room. There had been an array of rumors since they had gotten back. They had been greeted with the news that the emperor was dead, the sincerity of the person nearly enough to throw them into a panic. Thankfully, a larger group of people had come along and reported that the emperor had survived the battle and was on his way back. After that there had been two days full of rumors, the staff in the building waffling back and forth between the ideas that Lelouch was dead or he was injured and recovering. It was a relief to see that the emperor was fine.

Bismarck was smiling when Gino looked back, the Knight of One shaking his head. "Just the usual ones that come after a battle."

Lelouch stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "Well, clearly I am not dead as the rumors have said. And I'm not inured or insane." The emperor glanced around the room. "Have you used this time wisely. We have to replace our missing members."

"Your highness?"

"The JLF won't be satisfied with the indecisive victory that they got, especially not with Cornelia goading them on." The emperor looked to the side before sinking into the nearest chair, the young man following behind him to stand behind the chair. Belatedly he recognized the uniform of the Royal Guard, tipping his head to the side. The one piece of news that he knew for sure was that the entire company had been wiped out at Narita. He turned his attention back to the emperor as Lelouch spoke again. "We'll have time to properly commemorate them later. We have to focus on the JLF threat at the moment."

"There have been some candidates considered…but that hasn't been my top priority."

"Hmm." Lelouch leaned his head back, the young man quickly pulling his hand away from that spot. Lelouch glared back at the guard before focusing on the knights again. "Submit your candidates before the first. We'll work from there. Britannia can't appear weak."

Lelouch pushed himself up from the chair, the knights bowing again as he left the room, the young guard trailing after him. Gino looked up to watch the two go, raising his eyebrow at the short encounter. After making them wait for three days, the emperor just showed up to ask if they had gotten replacements for the few Knights of the Round that they had lost? Maybe there was something in those rumors about Lelouch going insane. Still, it was not his place to question it, it was his place to just wait out what Bismarck would decide, even if it meant shuffling the existing Rounds around.

He hovered near Anya's chair, disappointed when she announced that she would be going back to her room, Monica quickly following her. Gino sighed and turned back to the game of pool only to be disappointed as it seemed to have been stalled out.

Raleigh was clinging to his pool stick, Gino glancing at him and shaking his head. "Careful, don't want to break that."

"…Eleven."

Gino paused on his way to pick up another pool cue, turning to stare at Raleigh. The Knight of Five glanced up at him, throwing the stick to the ground. "Why is there an Eleven guarding the emperor?"

"Well, the Royal Guard were wiped out." Gino shrugged. "Someone had to take the job."

"But we're here."

"We're not the emperor's guards, Sir Raleigh." Bismarck stepped back over to the table, leaning on it. "He may use us as such, but we're his elite forces."

"But that doesn't mean that he should go and put an Eleven there! Numbers are cannon fodder."

The argument attracted Luciano's attention, Gino glaring at the man as he laughed. "Are you suggesting we stop the Eleven's rise through the ranks?"

"Without a direct order from the emperor?" There was a note of warning in Bismarck's voice, that enough to deter Luciano.

Gino relaxed a fraction that that. It would be best if they left Raleigh on his own, especially if they removed Luciano from the situation. Raleigh was already a firm believer in the system of numbers and the ideas that Charles zi Britannia had put forward. It was a miracle that he even admitted that the Numbers belonged in the army at all. But with Luciano just looking for a change to maim or kill, it was a bad combination with the two of them.

He laughed, trying to dispel the tension in the room. "It's probably just a temporary measure."

That got a grumbled reply from Raleigh, the man leaning over the table and taking a shot, missing all of the balls. Gino kept the smile on his face, flinching internally. This wouldn't be the end of it, he knew that much. That Eleven was going to be in trouble no matter what happened. Bismarck would stop Luciano short of killing, just to keep the reputation of the Knights of the Round mostly clean and the others wouldn't move to save him. Gino groaned and leaned against the pool cue, resting his forehead against the wood. None of the others would care about the Eleven, he was just part of the background.

"Gino, your turn." He looked up at Bismarck, offering a smile before bending over the pool table, hesitating before taking his shot. Raleigh and Luciano would have to be watched then. Besides, the Eleven looked a bit livelier than Anya and more lonely. It wouldn't hurt to try and talk to him.

* * *

"Princess Euphemia."

"General Katase, it's good to be able to speak to you again."

"I could say the same." Katase smiled and leaned forward. "If you have contacted us that means you have your side of the deal ready."

"It's in the works."

"In the works?"

"You know how we Britannians love our ceremonies." Euphemia returned with her own smile. "Besides, there are other things to attend to first, like playing the doting sister."

"And when will your end of the deal go through."

"First of September the candidates are chosen. I'll talk with my brother and convince him to put our man in the Rounds."

"And when do I meet this candidate?"

"Soon."

"That seems to be your answer to everything, Princess."

"I can't do too much at once or disrupt my brother's plans, not if you want this to go as planned."

Katase chuckled. "Of course not. So, I'll be meeting this candidate soon."

"Yes."

"And you assure me that he will be introduced with the others on September first."

"Yes." Euphemia pushed her bangs out of her face. "The Knighting ceremony will probably take place on the twelfth, just so important nobles can get here if they want to come. And we can't have Knights of the Round without working Knightmares."

"Indeed. Any improvements?"

"That I can't tell you because even I don't know. Knightmare mechanics bore me, but I'm sure our Knight of the Round will be helpful enough to fill us in."

"Alright."

"And our deal?"

"Let the candidate sit for a few days."

"Waiting out a false deal? You know I wouldn't do that. You abided by your end so I'll abide by mine."

"You never know was the Demon Emperor will do."

"True." Euphemia absently played with a bit of her hair. "We'll begin preliminary talks though, outlining what we both want."

"Yes."

"And remember, this will take time."

"We don't have much of that."

"I know, but I'll do my best."

Katase was silent for a moment before he smiled and nodded. "I know, I trust you, Princess. It's your brother that I cannot."


	10. Chapter 10

** Chapter Ten **

_August 27, 2017_

Suzaku stepped out of the Lancelot, sweaty and exhausted from running another series of tests on the Knightmare now that it had been repaired and the new float system added. He glanced back at the bulky red pack on the back of the Lancelot, tilting his head to the side. It looked too small to actually be able to carry the Lancelot's weight, but Cecile had assured him that it would. Lloyd still wasn't speaking to him, unless it was to make an adjustment of the Lancelot or about the time machine. Apparently, he had taken the near destruction of the Knightmare very hard.

Suzaku sighed and glanced at the other side of the hangar, staring at the other Knightmare frame that was being assembled for the new Knight of the Round. He ran a hand through his hair, wincing as he realized that it had only caused his damp curls to spike up slightly. He shook his head in an attempt to smooth them down, giving up the next minute. There was a towel and a change of clothes waiting for him in the dressing room anyway. And, knowing Lloyd, he would want Suzaku to stay so they could discuss the time machine, the car now situated in its own room off to the side.

He walked down to the two consoles, avoiding the plate of food that Cecile had left out, he would be eating with Lelouch and Euphemia in the study as they discussed possible demands that the JLF would make or gave Suzaku impromptu etiquette lessons. And then came the equally as impromptu make out session against Lelouch's desk. Suzaku wasn't quite sure how those started.

Ever since Narita their pattern of interaction had changed, not even their conversation about trust had put them off. One minute he would be playing the loyal guard to the emperor and the next he would be pulling Lelouch against him. The reasoning behind it seemed to baffle even Lelouch, because the emperor would often revert back to his mask of indifference, which both confused an annoyed Suzaku. But that wasn't nearly as annoying as the fact that he had decided that now, when he was stuck in the past, was the time to form an attraction to someone and his libido agreed.

He rubbed a hand over his face, muffling a groan with that move. The one thing that he thought he could depend on was the fact that he was deathly afraid of losing the people close to him and, because he knew that he would be leaving as soon as the time machine was fixed, that would be enough to keep him from falling for someone. Apparently not, because now he was stuck with Lelouch and he had spent a good portion of the night thinking about how Lelouch would react if he crawled into bed beside him.

Suzaku bit his lip to muffle another groan of frustration, quickly walking into the locker room and scooping up his towel, fighting back the irrational urge to scream into it. Lelouch was the Demon Emperor, the one who was responsible for all the fear and hatred that had kept the world in the firm grip of world peace for ten long years. Even now, when that peace was beginning to show signs of eroding, no one was actually brave enough to destroy it completely, everyone was still afraid of Lelouch. And even that wasn't enough to keep Suzaku away from him, all because Lelouch kept reminding him and the Demon Emperor was a person in the end.

He roughly rubbed his hair dry with the towel, getting glimpses of the world as it slid over his head. Suzaku froze as he saw a person in the doorway, carefully pushing the towel back to see who was there, relaxing a fraction when he saw that it wasn't Lelouch. Suzaku smiled at Lloyd and ran a hand through his hair to get it into some reasonable shape.

The scientist didn't look at him, looking like he was pouting. Suzaku tipped his head to the side, his eyebrows rising as he saw Cecile standing in the background, glaring at Lloyd. He turned his attention back to the scientist as Lloyd heaved a long sigh. "Cecile says that I should apologize. But you did nearly ruin my Lancelot."

There was a metallic clatter as a wrench landed dangerously close to Lloyd. Lloyd stared at it before pushing it away with his foot. "Then again, Cecile has threatened to change the code to the room with the time machine…"

"Couldn't you change it back?"

"I suppose…but the fact that she threatened…" The both nodded in understanding, that was the closest they would get to an enraged Cecile, or the closest that they both dared to go. "So, I'm sorry."

"I accept your-"

"I need you to runs some tests in the time machine for me." Lloyd was smiling at him again, Suzaku letting go of the towel completely and hearing it drop to the floor. "Just to see if the engine and rest of the systems work. Be there in three minutes."

Lloyd dashed away before Suzaku could get another word in and Cecile could throw another tool at him. Suzaku just stared at him and shook his head, reaching down to pick up the towel that he had dropped on the floor and shaking it out. He returned to toweling off his hair, balling up the towel when he was done and tossing it in the direction of the laundry hamper that was in the room. A quick glance at the clock in the room showed that he had time to abide by Lloyd's wishes. He sighed and walked out of the locker room.

He automatically went through the motion of unlocking the door to the room that the time machine was in, waiting long enough for the door to slide open a fraction before slipping it and letting it close behind him.

Suzaku looked up as Lloyd spoke, watching as the scientist muttered to himself as he looked over the computer screen. Lloyd glanced up at him once before returning his gaze to the computer screen. "Run the car up to eighty-eight and then act like you're time traveling."

"Did you add sakuradite?"

"No. Cecile won't let me until she gets the readings she wants." Lloyd waved him on, Suzaku staring at the time machine, pleased that most of the larger dents had been worked out. There were still dents and scratches, but they looked less threatening. Although, there were still panels that were entirely missing, the wires that had been run under them exposed. Suzaku shrugged, slipping into the car and reaching up to grab the activation key from the dashboard.

He slipped it into place, listening to the engine rumble to life, Suzaku trying to keep the smile from his face. They had only managed to get the car portion into some kind of working order, but not the time machine portion, that might take a while longer. Suzaku forced himself not to shiver at the thought, carefully pressing down on the gas pedal and starting to ease the speedometer up to eighty-eight.

Suzaku kept his gaze on the speedometer, preferring not to look at Lloyd as the scientist bounded around the car, muttering to himself and jotting down notes. He preferred just to lose himself in the sound of the engine and the slight rock of the car as it tried to free itself of the restraints on it. It was the frame of mind that he drifted into when he was running the tests on the Lancelot, a safe place for him to just be without thinking or doubting himself.

He jumped at as the needle edged up to eighty-five, shifting his right hand to rest on the lever, running his thumb over the button on top, sucking in a deep breath. Suzaku counted off the seconds, pressing down on the button as soon as the needle touched eighty-eight, watching a bit of green flicker over the car before dying out. He glanced down at the screens as they flashed a warning. Suzaku glanced up, watching as Lloyd gestured him to cut the engine.

Suzaku leaned back in his seat and let the engine run down, drumming his fingers against the lever until the needle hit zero. Once he was sure that the car was settled, he turned it off. Suzaku slipped out of the car, watching as Lloyd skipped back over to the computers, assuming that meant something good. And, in usual Lloyd fashion, the scientist didn't bother to share the data. Suzaku was sure that he would talk to him about it when it pertained to him.

He stretched out, feeling a slight tension in the muscles of his back, probably from sleeping on the couch combined with the extended time in the Lancelot. Suzaku glanced back at Lloyd before walking out of the room.

Cecile was waiting for him outside, Suzaku smiling and jerking his head towards the locker room. "I'm going to have to go."

"I know." She reached out to pat his shoulder. "I just wanted to say thank you, and that you're doing a good job."

"T-thanks."

"Lloyd isn't good with people, so…" She shrugged and glanced back at the Knightmares. "I have things to take care of."

"Of course." Suzaku smiled, resisting the urge to hug her, reminding himself that he was still sweaty. He turned away, returning to the dressing room and quickly stripping out of his flight suit, struggling to get his legs out. Suzaku kicked it away, quickly reaching for his uniform and pulling it on. He pulled the zipper on the shirt partially up, pausing to pull on the boots that he had to wear, relieved that they were getting easier to wear. At least he didn't have to worry about blisters forming on his heels anymore.

He stood up and tapped the toe of his boots against the ground, making sure they sat right. He turned at the chuckle from the door, somewhat surprised to see Lelouch leaning against the wall. Suzaku stared openly at Lelouch, remembering belatedly that his shirt was still mostly open. He swallowed and zipped it the rest of the way up, not sure if he should be nervous or like that Lelouch watched his hand move the zipper up.

"What are you doing here?"

Lelouch raised one shoulder in a shrug. "Why shouldn't I be?"

"I…I meant without a guard." Suzaku picked up his bundled flight suit and tossed it in the laundry as well, sure that it would appear in Lelouch's room tomorrow morning, neatly folded and waiting for him. "You shouldn't be without a guard."

"The Knights of the Round are back. I'm the safest here, the JLF wouldn't dare to attack me here."

He sighed and walked over to Lelouch, waiting for the emperor to turn around and walk back to the administrative building. Instead, Lelouch reached out for him, Suzaku remaining frozen in place. He had thought that Lelouch would have the common sense not to do this sort of thing in public where people could see them. Then again, with the focused look on Lelouch's face, Suzaku doubted that the emperor was thinking about anything else.

Lelouch's hand gently pressed against the top of his head, Suzaku finding himself relaxing into the touch as Lelouch smoothed out his hair. He doubted that even Lelouch could get it to remain in any sort of order, but it didn't seem like Lelouch was really trying. He was just pressing the few strands that had initially refused to stay down back down patiently, sometimes having to repeat the process more than once. And, if they hadn't been in public, Suzaku would have let him continue.

Instead, he cleared his throat and stepped to the side, dropping his gaze. "Princess Euphemia is waiting for us, your majesty."

A quick glance up at Lelouch showed that the emperor was staring at him in confusion, his hand still hovering in the air. As their gazes met, Lelouch seemed to snap back to reality, straightening up and dropping his hand to this side. Suzaku allowed Lelouch a moment to gather himself back together before following the emperor out of the locker room and into the main room of the hangar.

Lelouch remained silent until they were halfway across the distance between the A.S.E.E.C hangar and the administrative building, Suzaku looking back at Lelouch on one of his scans for danger. "Don't let me forget myself like that again."

"Yes, your highness."

* * *

Euphemia sat slumped across her desk, fighting back a yawn. Between the JLF and Raleigh's attentions, she wasn't getting much sleep. How Lelouch did this she would never know. Euphemia glanced over at where her brother and Suzaku sat, hiding a smile behind her hand as she saw how they leaned towards each other. Neither of them were probably aware that they were doing it, which made it funnier. Lelouch would have protested vehemently if she even suggested that Suzaku meant something to him, despite all of his actions before. Suzaku, she was sure, would attempt to move her interest to something else or ramble off that he was just protecting Lelouch as she had asked him to.

She shook her head and pushed herself away from her desk, staring at the paper that she had retrieved from one of the drawers. With Raleigh in her room every other night, it was important that she hid her work from him, the Knight of Five wouldn't hesitate to take her to Lelouch and turn her in as a traitor. She needed a better hiding place, she was sure of that, but it was the best she could come up with in the short time between when he knocked on the door and when she could fight back her panic.

Euphemia skimmed over her own handwriting before reaching up to pull her hair out of its customary buns, beginning to braid it for when she went to bed. Retiring early was sounding like a better and better idea with every day. "I've talked to them three nights now, and we've been trying to settle on what we should do. I suggested a Special Administrative Zone."

"Giving them the illusion of peace?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "That wouldn't work for too long, but as a short term solution, it could work. Maybe for a few months. But that implies that they trust you."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Tell me what else you've talked about. I can't make plans with partial information."

Euphemia huffed and glanced down at her notes. "I've gotten him to stop rushing me, just because of how complicated we are making this."

"Freeing a country is a complicated thing."

"He says that they could possibly work under a viceroy, one with sympathies to the Japanese cause. There could be a shift from there, doing little things to restore the former Japanese government to power."

"And I'm guessing that you would volunteer for the job."

She nodded. "The JLF trusts me, almost, and it would be easier for me to gain the trust of the people. Then you would get your support for me when you go and kill yourself." She saw Suzaku tense at that, biting her lip as she realized what she had said.

To her surprise, Lelouch didn't seem too worried, her brother smirking and leaning back in his chair. "So you would play the part of the good viceroy, slowly changing the government that Britannia had forced upon them into the government that they once had?"

"Yes."

"That would give me time to continue my plans in the homeland."

"Yes." Euphemia tried to smile. "And you would have the excuse of not knowing anything that I was doing."

"Then I could turn on you."

"And I would make a stand."

Lelouch actually chuckled at that, Euphemia shivering. She hated how well he played his role, and she wasn't sure if he was even playing now. "You would be a frightened little princess standing up against your home wanted peace and I would just be another evil tyrant. Everyone would support you. The assassination would be easy after that."

Euphemia nodded, about to ask Lelouch exactly how he planned to fake his death when she saw Suzaku crumple out of the corner of her eye. She stood up quickly, Suzaku catching himself on the back of Lelouch's chair before Euphemia could get to him. She took a step back, glancing back as her brother and noticing that he had twisted in his seat, all of his attention suddenly focused on his guard. "Suzaku?"

"Sorry, lost my balance there." He smiled at the two of them, pushing himself back upright. Euphemia stared at his arm as he moved, watching the limb tremble for a moment, and not because it was supporting his weight. She frowned and moved back to sit in her chair, waiting for Lelouch to focus back on the task at hand.

Surprisingly he stood up, meeting Suzaku's gaze for a moment before walking towards the door. "Keep me updated. But I think it's time for you to talk to them again."

She nodded, watching as Suzaku went to follow Lelouch. "Suzaku, wait. They want to meet you."

The guard hesitated just long enough for Lelouch to walk out of the door without him, actually flinching when the door slid shut. Only when Lelouch was out of the room did Suzaku look back at her, obviously struggling to hide something. "Is he serious?"

"About letting Japan go? I think so."

"No…I mean the assassination." Suzaku's voice broke over the word. "Does he really expect that to happen?"

"Of course. He's planning it out himself."

"He's…faking it?" Euphemia didn't expect Suzaku to nearly collapse when she nodded, not sure how to take the look of relief on his face. The relief didn't last long, Suzaku frowning the next moment and sitting up. "That isn't possible."

"What isn't possible?" Suzaku looked up at her, Euphemia looking away at the nearly heartbroken look on his face. "Never mind. Are you alright?"

He nodded, already shifting back to the usual stance that he held as a guard, Euphemia unable to resist resting a hand on his shoulder. She gently squeezed, surprised when Suzaku reached up and removed her hand from his shoulder, soothing her shock with a soft smile. "There's no need to worry about me, princess."

"But…"

"We should get ready. I wouldn't want to keep you too long." Suzaku was moving away before she could demand that he explain what he meant.

Euphemia sighed, going over to her desk and hiding the notes, knowing that they wouldn't have much time before Raleigh came up, if he decided to come up tonight. She shook her head, pushing all thoughts of her lover away and focusing on the upcoming meeting. This was the first time they would be seeing Suzaku. She had tried to stall this for as long as possible to appear like she was in control, and Katase had allowed her that small illusion.

She walked over to the screen and turned it on, looking back at Suzaku as he steeled himself for the confrontation. Euphemia reached out to touch him again, drawing back when he looked warily at her. And, for a moment, she was jealous of her brother. She had seen him and Suzaku together, small glances out of the corner of her eye as she walked down the hallway or had seen them in the gardens. Suzaku didn't flinch away then, on the contrary he seemed to lean into Lelouch's touch. As a princess she was used to being denied nothing, but Suzaku was continually denied to her.

Euphemia looked away, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. She already had Raleigh, a man that loved her as much as any man could, or at least she hoped so. It had seemed like it a year ago, he had only eyes for her and she had loved it. It was like all those fairy tales that Lelouch warned her would rot her brain. But it wasn't in the end. Raleigh did love her, but he loved his emperor and country just that bit more that made her feel like superfluous.

Suzaku cleared his throat, Euphemia quickly smiling and turning to face the screen as the general's face flickered onto the screen.

Katase spared one glance at her before looking over at Suzaku, Euphemia glorying in the look of surprise on his face. So he had thought that she wouldn't go through with it, or that she didn't have someone ready. "So…this is our knight?"

"Indeed."

She looked over at Suzaku for a cue, surprised when he just tipped his head to the side. "Kururugi Suzaku, at your service."

"Kururugi?" Euphemia watched the surprise cross Katase's face. "Related to the Sumeragis?"

Suzaku looked surprised, glanced at Euphemia before dropping his gaze. "I don't know. My parents died in the take over, so I was placed under the care of a Britannian."

"How old were you at the time?"

Suzaku looked up abruptly at that. "Ten."

"Old enough then." Euphemia watched as Suzaku rocked back onto his heels, sure that he was keeping himself from lashing out at Katase. The general, on his part, didn't seem to notice. "You're wearing the uniform of a Royal Guard, I thought those had been wiped out."

"I'm still alive."

"There was only one Royal Guard left on the battlefield that they were aware of. The one who wouldn't give up the emperor."

"I owe my livelihood to him." Suzaku gave the general a wry smile. "I wouldn't give up my meal ticket that easily."

"I see. Loyal to the end, are you?" Suzaku gave a stiff nod, Euphemia struck again by the urge to comfort him. She wondered if she was the only one who could see that he was holding himself so stiffly. Suzaku obviously didn't like this man. "Have you been informed of the situation?"

"Yes."

"And do you agree to it?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't and I wouldn't be endangering a useful ally if I thought it wasn't worth the risk."

To Euphemia's shock, she saw Katase flinch, just the smallest movement away from the screen. But that was enough to make her have to fight back a smile. The next moment she had to pretend to glare at Suzaku, making it known that she didn't support his comment. Even if he hated Katase, they couldn't risk angering him, not with all the information that he had on them.

Katase turned his attention away from Suzaku, focusing on her as they went over their plans, just like they had before. The JLF would wait until Suzaku had been knighted to begin talks with her in person. Then they would move a small force close to the Tokyo Settlement, all Euphemia would have to do would be to make up an excuse so that she and Suzaku could go and meet them on appointed days. There, they would draw up the documents needed and steal control of the country from Lelouch. Although, Katase looked happy when she mentioned that he brother had plans of leaving the country to focus more on Britannia.

"Have you offered to take the viceroy position then?"

"I can't. He'd find that suspicious. I've never had an interest in government before."

Katase raised an eyebrow. "Because you've never wanted for anything."

"Because I believed that it couldn't be changed." Euphemia settled for glaring at him for a moment before pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "If that is all, I have other duties to attend to."

"Of course, your highness. We'll contact you again and watch the news. I have a feeling that a few exciting things will be coming up." Katase smiled before shutting off his end of the connection.

Euphemia tensed and looked over at Suzaku, surprised to see that he didn't seemed too worried. The guard turned to look at her, giving her a soft smile. "He didn't mean it as a threat, your highness." She nodded, surprised when Suzaku bowed to her, the Britannian bow this time, and stepped back. "If you require nothing else of me."

"It's Euphy." She didn't know why she suddenly told him that, it might have been the jealousy lingering in her still. She had heard Suzaku whisper her brother's name in the few times that she had caught them lingering too close to each other and she wanted that kind of affection. Even Raleigh called her by her full name despite the many instances when she had asked him not to; apparently he wasn't worthy enough to do so. With Raleigh, she had just taken it in stride, used to his quirks. But Suzaku, she really wanted Suzaku to call her by her nickname instead of the titles that he insisted on. "Please, call me Euphy."

His eyes widened comically before he got a hold of himself. "It wouldn't be proper for one of my station to-"

"You call Lelouch by his name." Suzaku froze at that, Euphemia plowing onward before she could stop herself. "And Nunnally has probably gotten you calling her by her first name. Why not me?"

Suzaku hesitated for a moment before turning and walking to the door. Euphemia almost called him back, biting back the need to shout at him and demand an answer. Now she saw why Lelouch kept Suzaku around, Lelouch would relish this kind of thing. She just found it slightly annoying. Thankfully, she didn't have to think on it for much longer, Suzaku turning around when he reached the door and smiling at her. "It's not my place, my lady."

"I could order you to do it."

"You could."

Euphemia licked her lips, suddenly wondering if Lelouch had needed to order Suzaku like this, but she pushed it away. "Then I order you, call me Euphy…when no one else is around."

That got another bow out of Suzaku, a partial one this time. "Yes, Euphy."

He turned around, pressing the button to open the door before walking down the hall. Euphemia hurried over to the door, leaning on the frame and watching him go. Lelouch was just at the other end of the hall, her brother refusing to stay too far away from his sisters in case something happened to them and so he could watch over Nunnally. Still, that put Suzaku very close to her, it would be so easy to just walk to Lelouch's room, borrow Suzaku for a moment and explain everything. But part of her was afraid of what she would find if she did that. She didn't want to walk in and find that Lelouch wasn't alone in his bed.

Katase had been right, she was a spoiled princess, too used to getting exactly what she wanted. She had Raleigh, but she wanted Suzaku, because Suzaku was a refreshing breath of fresh air from everyone she had ever known. And she couldn't have because Lelouch had managed to get to him first. Even when he was a Knight of the Round, Suzaku couldn't be hers, he would report directly to Lelouch.

Euphemia sighed, taking a step back into her room, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed and forget about everything. She hesitated, spotting a shadow further down the hall in the opposite direction that Suzaku had gone in, shaking her head and slipping inside her room. It was probably just one of those ridiculous suits of armor that they still had in the building just because there wasn't room in storage, Lelouch had made sure of that when he had stuffed all of the trophies their father had acquired and put into the building into storage. She supposed that it would be her job to redistribute the treasure after she became empress. Euphemia shook her head, flopping into her bed and pulling the covers up over her with a sigh, too exhausted to even change out of her clothes.

* * *

Schneizel looked exhausted, to the point where he looked tousled, something that Cornelia had never thought Schneizel could look. For a moment, she felt guilty for calling him, but he needed this piece of news because the JLF wasn't going to report it to him until they were sure of their position. Still… "You look awful."

That got a chuckle out of Schneizel. "I now have a better appreciation for what Kanon did for me." His smile wavered for a moment at the mention of Kanon, Cornelia finding herself envious of Schneizel's ability to hold himself together. She still felt the urge to cry when she thought about Guilford and the Glaston Knights. "But it's enough to prove my worth to the EU so that I don't get handed over the next time the Rounds fly over."

"They were thinking of turning you in?"

"It was close a couple of times, but I had to promise a few things. Thankfully, I got a reprieve."

"How?"

"A scientist by the name of Einstein." Schneizel gave her an exhausted smile. "She recently fled from Area 11 because she invented a weapon that she never wanted Lelouch to get his hands on. I managed to persuade her that it would be safer for both herself and her daughter here."

"Daughter?"

"Indeed. Cute little girl." Schneizel said the three words like he was discussing the weather. "We're keeping them both safe from Lelouch, although I doubt that he knew she existed. But, better us than the JLF."

Cornelia frowned. "What kind of weapon?"

"Purely theoretical at this point, but from what I can understand, it's a weapon of mass destruction." Cornelia's eyes widened, Schneizel reaching out before seeming to remember that they weren't in the same room. "We won't use it unless absolutely necessary. I don't like the extent of damage that it will theoretically cause."

They lapsed into silence, Schneizel staring at his folded hands and Cornelia staring at the floor. Cornelia spared a quick glance up at him, carefully thinking over what she was going to say. He obviously hadn't been concentrating his attention on Japan with everything going on in the EU, so he wouldn't know about the deal that the JLF had made without their permission. Then again, he wouldn't know about their failure either.

She swallowed before clearing her throat. "The plan at Narita failed."

"Failed?" Cornelia was sure that Schneizel wasn't faking the surprise in his voice. "But it should have gone flawlessly."

"It did, but there was one factor that we forgot."

"Which one?"

"Euphy."

"Euphemia?" Schneizel sat upright. "Lelouch used her as a decoy?"

Cornelia froze at that, staring at Schneizel as she contemplated what he had said. With the way that Lelouch had been acting, she wouldn't have put it past him. But that thought nearly made her nauseous. She pressed a hand to her stomach to keep herself under control. "No. But she was in the command center when he cornered Lelouch and she managed to get the JLF to agree to a deal. But they're going to use her, either way the deal turns."

"Have you gotten any information on the deal?"

"No. They're keeping it from me." Cornelia lifted the hand from her stomach to rub at her eyes. "Schneizel, if Lelouch finds out that she's doing this…"

"He'll kill her. No doubt about that." Schneizel nodded slowly, leaning to the side to rest his hand. "Remaining with the JLF is the best thing you can do right now, but that shouldn't stop you from taking the necessary measures to make sure Euphemia stays safe. If need be, stage a coup d'état."

"In a terrorist group?"

"I'm sure that there would be someone better to lead the group than General Katase, if he's been in power this long." Cornelia found herself nodding. "Bide your time, then take the JLF for yourself, or arrange it so someone who would win is in charge. I will support whatever path you take."

"If I call for help, Schneizel, will you come?"

Her brother's expression softened. "I'll try my best, Cornelia. But Lelouch has me trapped here for the time being."

"I'm aware of that. But can I count on your support of what I am doing?"

"Of course. We only have each other."

"Euphy is still alive."

"Sorry." Schneizel looked away for a moment, Cornelia satisfied with that little show of remorse. He was probably still broken apart over Kanon's death, especially with all the stuff that he had to do now.

"Thank you." Cornelia stood up, glancing over at the door. She had probably already been in here for too long for just a quick family call. Without bothering to say good-bye, she reached out and turned the screen off, breaking the connection and turning towards the door.

Schneizel wasn't a resource anymore, at least not one that she could rely on in a tight moment, so she would have to start gathering her own resources. But, that would be a problem with her heritage and with the way the rest of the JLF forces regarded her. Still, the common goal of wanting to get rid of Lelouch would bring people to her cause. If only they knew about the deal that General Katase was working to make with Euphemia.

She stepped out of the room, shutting the door carefully behind her, only to freeze as he heard someone clear their throat. Cornelia spun around, finding herself staring at the young woman that piloted the Guren. She raised an eyebrow, staring at the Eleven before looking away, the young woman taking that as permission to speak. "Usually, you have to ask to make calls over the line."

"I had plans to go over."

"With your brother?"

"With Schneizel." She felt the need to clarify, Cornelia resting one hand on her hip. "For our next attack."

"Have you heard that there won't be a next attack? We have a truce, the general just announced it."

Cornelia narrowed her eyes and glanced towards the command center. "And we're just going to trust Lelouch to not notice what Euphemia is doing? He's not that stupid, even with something to distract him."

"I know that. I was on the frontline for most of those battles. I know how he works!" The young woman turned away, glaring at a section of the floor. It took a moment before she relented, glancing up. "You're wanting something from me."

"I just want to know if you'd be willing to do anything for your country."

The young woman bristled. "I thought that I've proven that already."

She turned and walked away, leaving Cornelia to stand there and smirk. That was one person that she knew would follow her plan, which meant that the remains of the group that she had come from would be in too. Still, that was only a small fraction, maybe enough to form a guard around her. Cornelia shook her head, pushing that though away, she had to stop thinking like that. She wasn't replacing the Glaston Knights, she was just creating another plan, one that wouldn't endanger Euphy.

* * *

Gino sat up abruptly from the chair that he had fallen asleep in at the sound of the door sliding shut. He blinked rapidly to attempt to wake himself up, turning around as he heard rattling coming from the bar towards the back of the room. He yawned and stood up, stretching and turning around to see who had come into the room.

Raleigh was behind the bar, leaning over to look through the alcohol that was stored there before straightening up, suddenly seeming to realize that Gino was in the room. Raleigh froze, staring at his fellow knight before slumping over the bar. Concerned, Gino took a step forward, stopping when Raleigh slammed his fist onto the table. "Raleigh?"

"She was with it again."

Gino bit his lip to keep from asking the obvious, there was only one 'she' with Raleigh. So it had something to do with Princess Euphemia. He frowned and tipped his head to the side, inching forward to lean on the bar. "With who, Raleigh?"

He expected the answer to be Lelouch, the two were always seen together before Euphemia went to bed. And it was well known that Lelouch sat with Nunnally until she was asleep, a throw back to their younger days. Raleigh could just be annoyed that his time with the princess was being cut short, although Gino didn't blame Lelouch for trying. Raleigh was known for being impulsive and hot headed, which could lead to trouble very easily and Lelouch was probably just trying to protect the reputation of his sister.

"That Eleven." Raleigh spat out the word with such vehemence that Gino actually jumped. The Knight of Five didn't look up from the bar, clutching at it more tightly. "I've seen him leaving her room a few times before."

"Eleven?" Gino leaned back, tempted to walk around the bar and pull Raleigh away from the alcohol. "You mean the only Royal Guard left?"

Raleigh gave a miserable nod, slumping down further so his head rested against the bar. Gino sighed, staring at him before amending his thought. He would probably have to drag Raleigh away from the alcohol at this point, it wouldn't do him any good. "Give the guy a break, he has two royals to guard now. I'm sure that he was just delivering something to her or running an errand. Just go back up there and apologize to her for being late."

"You don't get it." Raleigh looked up, Gino taking a step back at the anger in the knight's eyes. "I'm losing the princess to a filthy Eleven."

"Hey now-"

"It doesn't even have the right to be in here, it belongs in the slums!"

"Raleigh…"

To his relief, the Knight of Five stopped his tirade, glancing at Gino before looking down at the bar. Gino flinched at the squeak that Raleigh's fingers made as the slid over the polished wood. "It's going to kill us all, Gino, they're natural born traitors."

"He's not going to kill us, Raleigh." Gino flipped his braids over his shoulder, chuckling at the distressed expression on Raleigh's face. It was so rare to see the Knight of Five showing any emotion other than anger. "He managed to get out of Narita alive and to protect the emperor. That's enough for me to trust him."

"You were always so trusting." Raleigh straightened up, glancing at the door. "My princess won't want me tonight, she's already occupied with another lover."

"You said that he left."

"It'll be back." Raleigh narrowed his eyes, glancing at Gino before storming out of the room just as quickly as he had stormed in, leaving Gino leaning against the bar. Gino shook his head before pushing away from the bar and ambling back over to the chair that he had been napping it, staring down at it. He had only come in here to keep Anya company while she had scrolled through the folders of pictures that she kept, but she must have wandered back to her room when he had fallen asleep. That was just like Anya.

He placed his hand on the back of the chair and stared at the door. He really didn't want to go out there while Raleigh was still roaming the halls, and hoped for the sake of that Eleven guard that he didn't meet up with the enraged Knight of Five. Raleigh had already taken it as a personal insult that the young man was even in the same building as him, it would be worse if the two actually met. And that was just regarding one of the Knights of the Round. Gino grumbled under his breath to himself before heading for the door. He might as well try to sleep before Bismarck roused them for some sort of meeting or practice. Or, even worse, their emperor made them do some boring reconnaissance. Just because the Tristan could transform into a jet didn't mean that it should be used for dull spying missions.

Gino rolled his eyes, already on planning to allow himself to be sucked into something important close to home instead of being sent out, it would just be easier on himself. Then again, it might be a chance to watch over the Eleven and keep him from getting seriously injured.

A yawn interrupted his thoughts, Gino glancing at the clock on the wall. Even if he could find an excuse to remain at the administrative building, Bismarck would get them all up at the same time. Gino shrugged and ambled into the hall, heading for his room.

* * *

After two hours of staring at the ceiling, Suzaku came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to sleep. He bit his lip to keep the moan of disappointment in the back of his throat before rolling over onto his side, careful not to roll off the edge of the couch. With his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, he could just make out Lelouch curled up in his bed, the emperor still in the tightly curled position that he would hold for a good part of the night. Lelouch didn't stretch out until about midnight and why did Suzaku know this?

He pressed his head back against his pillow, shutting his eyes to try and keep himself from staring at Lelouch. He had known the man for seventeen days and he was already familiar with most of Lelouch's habits, but that just might be because he was nearly always around Lelouch. And he had himself to blame for that. If only he had failed to pilot the Lancelot properly, then he could probably be curled up in a corner of the A.S.E.E.C hangar, getting a good night's sleep instead of staring at the ceiling and worrying over the future; that damn future that everyone seemed so obsessed with.

It was interesting, in a way, to listen to the plans that Lelouch was making, plans that no historian had ever found out about. There were conspiracy theories, there always were, but none of them even got close to what was really going on. From what little he had heard of the plans, Lelouch was playing the world for fools. Suzaku didn't know the reason for it, but it had to be the only conclusion, especially if he was helping Euphemia make a deal with his enemies.

Suzaku frowned into the darkness, crossing his arms behind his head, trying to come up with what he remembered about Euphemia. There was nothing. History had regaled her to the position of a minor princess, just another name on the list of the Britannian royal family. He did remember a passing paragraph in one of his textbooks, because it said she died and sixteen, but no one ever knew how. The why was obvious, the Demon Emperor had tired of her presence and killed her, a body was never found. She had just disappeared one day.

Then again, the why wasn't so obvious anymore. If Lelouch was working with Euphemia on this truce with the JLF, then how much of his other actions were just an act? And, unless Euphemia stepped too far out of line, Suzaku was sure that Lelouch would do anything to keep her alive, both her and Nunnally. So, there was a possibility that he had just hidden Euphemia away to keep her safe and never had gone to retrieve her. There hadn't been any one claiming to be the lost princess Euphemia to his knowledge, not since that one insane woman when he was eleven, so she must be hidden well.

He sighed and rolled back to his side, staring at Lelouch again. That still didn't make sense. Euphemia would have stepped up to become empress when Lelouch died, everything that they were working for was leading to that. Why did Nunnally become empress then? Lelouch had said that he would fake his own death, which meant that Euphemia's disappearance and assumed death could be false as well, and the two of them were probably hiding together.

That wasn't true either. Suzaku sat up, one hand going to his throat and the other going to press against his stomach as he fought back a bout of nausea. Lelouch died, he knew that. There was plenty of footage on documentaries on that final day under Lelouch; the assassination, the crowds seizing the body of the former emperor while the royal guards worked to get Nunnally to safety, the people of the Tokyo settlement tearing the body apart and setting it on fire.

Suzaku pushed himself off the couch, stumbling over to the wall and leaning against it, barely aware that he was panting heavily. He had seen that footage once, and then begged off to go to the bathroom any other time that it was shown. It didn't help though, he could probably still hear Nunnally screaming for her brother. He pressed his hands against the sides of his head, wishing that the memory would go away.

For a brief moment, he considered doing something to stop that, to make it so his younger self wouldn't have to put up with those images. Suzaku grimaced and rubbed his temples, stopping himself before he began contemplating paradoxes. He would have to let it all happen. The nausea came back, Suzaku bending over and letting himself slide down the wall, resting his head against his knees as he tried to calm himself down.

He couldn't think about the future, because it sickened him. He didn't want to think of all the things he had to let happen, all of the people that he had to let die. He had to think about how good life would be after he was done here, all of those people that got to survive instead of the ones that would be killed. All he had to do was to be the perfect soldier and he would get out of here alive, no more trying to relate and understand people except for Lloyd and Cecile. No one else mattered.

Suzaku looked up abruptly as he heard the sheets on the bed shift, watching as Lelouch sat up and looked over at the couch. He couldn't see the expression on Lelouch's face, but the surprised whisper was enough for him. "Suzaku?"

"Here." He pushed up from the ground, leaning heavily on the wall before pushing away. Suzaku waited for Lelouch to say something, surprised when the emperor didn't move. He cleared his throat and took a step back towards the couch. "Do you need anything, your-"

"You were whimpering." Suzaku froze, staring at the bed. There was movement in the dark, the vague shadow that was Lelouch moving closer to Suzaku's side of the bed.

Suzaku looked down at the floor, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. I'll just-"

"Nightmares?" He froze as Lelouch grabbed onto his arm, feeling the need to pull it out of the emperor's grasp. Lelouch never touched anyone unless he had to. He shook his head and took a step away, waiting for Lelouch to let go of him and let him walk back to the sofa, surprised when Lelouch kept his hold. "Suzaku?"

"Don't worry about me." It was hard to smile in the darkness, knowing that Lelouch wouldn't see it. But it was important to fake the emotion. "It's nothing."

"It's hardly nothing when you're pressed against the wall, whimpering."

"It really is nothing."

"I need you mentally sound, Suzaku." He was sure that Lelouch was glaring at him now. "Can you guarantee that?"

"Yes."

"Good." Suzaku waited for Lelouch to let go of his arm, shifting nervously when the emperor didn't release him, if anything, he stepped closer. Suzaku sucked in a quick breath, looking away and waiting for the order to come. He may have been inexperienced, but he wasn't dumb, he knew what those looks that Lelouch had been throwing him meant. And, since he was nothing more than a guard, Lelouch could get away with ordering to sleep with him.

A cold hand landed on his cheek, Suzaku jumping at the contact before turning to look at Lelouch, still unable to see him in the dark room. "Suzaku?"

"Lelouch?"

He didn't know what about the way he said the emperor's name made Lelouch sigh and lean against him. Suzaku tensed, his hands rising for a moment before he remembered to drop them to his sides. If this was one of Lelouch's moments, then he wasn't allowed to touch, he just had to stand here and wait for the moment to pass.

He felt Lelouch's breath against his neck pause for a moment, a longer inhale before Lelouch finally let his breath out, wrapping his arms around Suzaku and pulling him close. Suzaku shivered as Lelouch's lips brushed over his neck, tipping his head to the opposite side to try and pull himself away. Now was not the time for this, especially still while he was imagining Lelouch being pulled apart and burned.

Suzaku was barely aware of the whimper that escaped him, jumping when one of Lelouch's hands went up to tangle in his hair. The embrace only lasted a moment more before Lelouch pulled away, turning around abruptly and walking back to his bed. Suzaku stared after him, not sure what to do. Obviously, the moment was over, just another one to tuck away and cherish despite his constant repetition that this was a bad idea.

He remained standing for another moment before flopping back down on the couch, sitting and staring at the floor. There was no way that he would be going back to sleep now, he would just have to suffer through a day of sleep deprivation and hope that would be enough to get him to fall asleep tomorrow night. Then again, that's what he got for trying to think about the future. Except, his future was looking more and more violent with every passing day. Suzaku frowned and stared down at his hands. Everything he remembered was true, and staying by Lelouch wasn't going to change all of it, but was it worth changing in the end?

Lelouch sighed from the bed, Suzaku looking up to watch as the emperor settled back down, curled up in the tangle of blankets. He smiled at the image, knowing that Lelouch would be asleep in a matter of minutes, feeling a fleeting bit of envy. Lelouch would get to sleep but he wouldn't. Suzaku shook his head before leaning back, resting his head against the back of the couch and staring up at the ceiling.

* * *

 _September 1, 2017_

Lelouch reached down to adjust his sleeve, smirking to himself. It had been a bit of an annoyance to rush the ceremony, but it was for his own good that he stayed one step ahead of the JLF. Besides, he couldn't let them call all the shots. And, since the three candidates were already here, it made sense to knight them as soon as possible. He chuckled to himself, smoothing the white fabric down over his arm. He had debated on announcing the candidates and then Euphemia's new position as viceroy, but he had decided that it would be better this way.

He couldn't have the world thinking that Suzaku had gotten this position by sleeping with the princess.

Lelouch tried not to frown at that though, purposefully continuing to look away from where his guard stood. Suzaku was probably still messing with the pieces of his new uniform, Lelouch fighting back the urge to turn around. He would have plenty of time to stare at the uniform, because Suzaku would be wearing it more often. Lelouch closed his eyes and hummed to himself, hearing the soft rustle of fabric as Suzaku turned to look at him. "Your majesty?"

"Ready?"

He heard Suzaku chuckle nervously. "Not really."

"It's an honor, Suzaku, remember that."

"Believe me, I do." There was a click from behind him, Suzaku probably buckling on the sword that he had been issued that morning. Lelouch twitched, reminding himself that he wasn't looking at Suzaku at the moment. "But I wish it had been…private."

"Private?" Lelouch's eyes narrowed as he realized what Suzaku was talking about. "They're not going to hurt you."

The guard snorted, the sound barely covering the harsh laugh.

Lelouch sighed, tipping his head slightly to the side to try and meet Suzaku's gaze. "I won't let them."

"Playing favorites?"

"I'm allowed." Lelouch laughed, reaching up to fix his collar. "And you're too capable to let go of."

"Thanks…I think."

"Take it as a compliment, it'll make you feel better." That got another laugh out of Suzaku, Lelouch turning around and looking over the young man. Suzaku froze in the middle of pulling one of his black gloves up, staring at Lelouch before letting both hands drop to his sides. Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that, giving the white jacket and pants a quick look over before rolling his eyes. "All the way up."

Suzaku reached for the zipper to the black shirt that was worn under the jacket, the golden design now extending down the chest instead of just remaining around the collar. He frowned and toyed with the tab. "It's going to be stifling."

"You can suffer for a while." Lelouch waved his hand at Suzaku in a 'go on' motion, Suzaku glaring at him before drawing the zipper of the shirt the rest of the way up, fixing his collar before Lelouch could comment. Lelouch smiled and gestured to his own outfit. "I don't wear this for comfort, I don't see why anyone else should be comfortable."

He walked out of the room as Suzaku laughed, sure that he hasn't heard that one before. He's already heard all of Suzaku's little chuckles and the noises that he makes when he's not sure if he should be laughing, but real laughter is the one sound that Lelouch had yet to hear from Suzaku. Lelouch smiled to himself, forcing the expression off his face in the next moment. He wasn't doing this to entertain the small part of his mind that was interested in Suzaku, he was doing this to become better at reading Suzaku, his life could depend on it one day.

Lelouch reached around to straighten the back of his collar, slowing down when he heard the swish of fabric behind him. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, smiling as he saw Euphemia following after him. He stopped and offered his sister his arm. "Prepared?"

"Not really." Euphemia bit her lip, looking at the ground and keeping her voice to a whisper. "I told them that they would be told the candidates today, not that they would get them."

"It's better this way. I can stay a step ahead of the JLF and you escape with your reputation intact. Now they can't say that Suzaku slept his way into the position." He noticed the glance she shot him, ignoring it. She didn't need to know the reasons behind his decision, those were for him alone. "And that will help when I announce that you are Viceroy."

"Will you leave then?"

"Only when I'm sure that Japan is stable. I'll be destabilizing Britannia, I don't need to be fighting a war on two fronts again." Lelouch felt her pull away from him for a moment, letting Euphemia stare at him. He would discuss with her exactly what he was planning later, when they were safely away from any ears that would be listening. Now they were too close to the hall where the audience and cameras waited. Lelouch didn't want to have his plans completely undone because of a slip of his tongue. "Later."

The last word he whispered in Euphemia's ear before separating himself from her and striding out onto the stage, listening to the nobles in the room quiet down. Even the herald looked shocked by his sudden entrance, Lelouch giving him a lazy glance before sitting down on the throne, watching as Euphemia went to sit by Nunnally. He scanned the room, picking out a few of the more annoying members of the noble class, barely holding back the smirk on his face. The best part of this ceremony would be to watch them realize what he had just allowed to happen.

Lelouch glanced at the Knights of the Round arrayed behind him, his gaze lingering a moment on the three capes that were draped over the arms of a servant. The light from the chandeliers caught on the gold symbol stitched onto the fabric, Lelouch leaning to one side to look over the three capes. Peach, turquoise and blue capes were folded together, three Knights of the Round and Britannia would appear to be at her full strength again. And that was exactly what Lelouch wanted, especially if their scheme was going to go through without a hitch.

He glanced back towards the doors at the end of the hall, noticing the servants standing ready at the doors. The first of the new knights would be waiting by now. For a moment, Lelouch had the urge to make them wait a bit longer, but he would have to excuse. Suzaku was probably already lurking close to the doors, waiting behind the scenes to show up as a surprise. He hid his smile in the palm of his hand, he couldn't wait until then.

Lelouch stood up, gesturing for Bismarck and the servant to step forward. It was a privilege of the Knight of One to bestow the new members of the Rounds with their capes, something that Lelouch wouldn't infringe upon.

He diverted his attention away from the two as the servants opened the door, allowing the first candidate to step through. Lelouch watched as the young man hesitated, letting them wait a little to long before he started walking. He raised an eyebrow at that, for the son of a nobleman he had expected something better. Of course, he had been expecting too much of his nobility anyway, they were all nothing more than greedy men who were looking after themselves. The few good nobles that he had found were already justly rewarded for their service.

The young man made his way up the aisle, Lelouch watching as he flinched back at times, raising his eyebrow at that. He hoped that the young man's skills with a Knightmare Frame would be better than his performance here. Still, he was sure that part of it was because of nerves, but even that didn't make sense to him. He had been perfectly steady on the day that he had taken the throne.

Lelouch carefully schooled his features into a mask of indifference as the young man walked up to him, watching him kneel. The words to the knighting ceremony came automatically, Lelouch intoning them without any emotion as he remembered seeing his father doing many times. He only really paid attention to the wavering reply of "Yes, your majesty."

The young man fumbled with the sword, the hilt nearly slipping out of his fingers before he managed to bring it up, offering Lelouch the hilt as he held the tip as far away from his heard as possible. Lelouch barely fought back a sneer. So this one was a bit of a coward? It didn't matter to him; Bismarck would be the one dealing with this knight in the end.

He reached out to grasp the sword, taking it from the young man's hands and tapping the flat edge of the blade against the young man's shoulders, watching every touch correspond with a flinch. Lelouch fought the urge to roll his eyes, carefully turning the sword in his hands and holding it out for the young man, watching the man look up at him with fear. Lelouch didn't bother with the usual last section of the knighting ceremony, a listing of the values that a knight of Britannia should hold, he already knew that half of them would go unheeded.

The young man swallowed and reached for the sword, sliding it quickly into its sheath before standing up. Lelouch watched as Bismarck took the top cape from the stack, the young man turning around as Bismarck wrapped it around his shoulders. The peach fabric fell down to just above the floor, Lelouch watching as the young man rolled his shoulders, adjusting to its weight. "I present the Knight of Eleven."

As expected, the crowd burst into applause, Lelouch waiting it out patiently. He looked quickly at the doors, watching as the next candidate walked up, the audience too distracted by the new Knight of Eleven to notice her presence. He returned his attention to the people on the dais as the young man went to take his place in the line of knights behind Lelouch.

Only when he was settled did the next candidate start making her way down the aisle, all the attention of the room turning to her. Usually this would be a single affair, but Lelouch found it more effective to broadcast this, a show of Britannia's true power. Besides, it simplified the business of the day for him.

The woman walked almost too quickly up to him, bowing and waiting for him to recite the oaths again, giving her answer in a clipped military tone that took him by surprise. So this one probably wasn't from a noble family, just a good Britannian that had caught Bismarck's eye. He resisted the urge to turn and look at Bismarck, accepting the sword from the woman and tapping it against her shoulders, barely having the time to balance it in his hands before she took it away, sliding it back into place.

At least she waited for him to gesture for her to rise, Lelouch ignoring her completely as soon as the turquoise cape was draped around her shoulders, belatedly remembering to continue his part, gesturing vaguely at her. "I present the Knight of Eight."

There was more applause, but Lelouch was too focused on the next person standing by the doors, the servants looking equally as confused. But there was no mistaking that Suzaku looked every inch a candidate the others did, standing confidently in his white pants and jacket, his black boots polished to a shine.

Lelouch caught himself almost smiling, swallowing and glancing back at Bismarck as he settled back into place. Lelouch turned his attention back to Suzaku just in time to see him start walking up the aisle. He found that he couldn't hold back the smirk on his face as the nobles turned to look at the new candidate, enjoying the way that they pulled back in shock at the sight of the Eleven. That would teach them to think that they knew him.

He ignored the whispers as Suzaku walked up the two steps to where he was standing, holding his gaze for a second longer than proper before dropping into a bow. Suzaku really was getting better at that. Lelouch tipped his head to the side, watching as Suzaku raised his head a fraction, meeting his gaze. "Suzaku Kururugi wilt thou upon this day pledge thy fealty to Britannia and stand as a knight of the crown?"

Lelouch expected a moment of hesitation, his eyes widening a fraction when Suzaku responded immediately. "Yes, your majesty."

"Dost thou wish to abandon thyself and be sword and shield for the sake of the greater good?"

"Yes, your majesty." Suzaku froze for a moment, Lelouch worrying that Suzaku had forgotten the instructions that he had been delivered earlier. He relaxed when Suzaku reached for the sword that was hanging by his side, drawing it out before offering it to Lelouch.

The point was too close to Suzaku's chest for Lelouch's comfort, Lelouch reaching out and taking it from Suzaku as fast as was considered proper. Suzaku ducked his head then, Lelouch staring at the young man kneeling in front of him. He swallowed past the obstruction in his throat brought on by something before allowing the flat of the sword to fall against Suzaku's shoulders. "I, Lelouch vi Britannia, do hereby dub thee Sir Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Seven."

There was a gasp from the crowd, a few people trying to stifle the others. Lelouch didn't bother looking at them, holding out the sword for Suzaku to take back. Suzaku carefully settled the sword back into place, standing up and turning to face the crowd.

Unlike the two previous knights, the crowd was completely silent, Lelouch glancing at Bismarck out of the corner of his eye. Even the Knight of One was too stunned by this development to do anything. He frowned, not moving until he saw Suzaku's shoulders slump slightly. Suzaku wouldn't have actually thought that he would have been welcomed with open arms, but the fact that the crowd was just glaring at him was something else entirely, and something that Lelouch wouldn't stand for.

He turned and grabbed the cape from the servant, wrapping it around Suzaku's shoulders and snapping it into place. He felt Suzaku jump at his presence, Lelouch belatedly realizing that his arms were wrapped around Suzaku. It would be so easy just to remain like this and pull Suzaku close to him…but those were thoughts that didn't belong out here. Lelouch pulled his arms away, taking an extra step back to distance himself from the new knight.

The crowd was still glaring at Suzaku, Lelouch very tempted to give out a death sentence to all the people in the audience. This was questioning his orders, doubting his judgment, and he couldn't let them get away with it, not if he wanted to remain in power.

Lelouch shifted his weight, ready to turn and order the guards to turn on the crowd when someone started clapping, Lelouch jerking at the sound. He stared at Lloyd Asplund, watching as the man smiled at Suzaku. Lelouch turned at the sound of another person clapping, raising an eyebrow as he saw that Gino had joined in. He hadn't expected a Knight of the Round to show his approval so soon. But that was enough to galvanize the rest of the crowd into applause.

He smirked and gestured toward Suzaku, watching the new Knight of Seven glance back at him for a moment, the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Lelouch returned the smile, glancing back out at the audience and carefully reading the looks on their faces. They were all of confusion or anger on the few who had managed to work out what was really going on, and that was perfect. They would be happy to get rid of him when he proposed going back to the homeland. It would make Euphemia's job so much easier.

Lelouch took a step back, glancing back at his sisters. There would be a reception in one of the great halls that they would have to go to. It would be better to get out now before the nobles started demanding answers; the party would be enough of a distraction for them later.

Euphemia nodded at him before rising to her feet, taking Nunnally and wheeling her out with Jeremiah following. He stepped out so he was in front of them, leading the way off the stage so the dismissal would be formal. The nobles would know where they could try and corner him later. For a moment, Lelouch entertained the thought of hiding out somewhere in the back where Suzaku would have to walk by. Then he could just reach out and pull Suzaku towards him, maybe even press himself against Suzaku and steal another kiss. He was pretty sure that he knew how to properly use his tongue at this point, so it wouldn't be as awkward as the other times.

Lelouch's eyes widened as he realized how far his thoughts had wandered. This was becoming a problem and an unwelcome distraction. He just wanted to be able to think without Suzaku crossing his mind every three minutes, wanted to be able to sleep without wanting to call Suzaku over his bed, just to have something to hold in case the nightmares came back. He glanced down at the ground, reaching to adjust one of the panels on his clothes, biting his lip.

He was at fault for this, he had allowed a passing fancy to become something more. It should have ended at Narita, with that one kissed fueled by adrenaline. But he had allowed it to continue, even to the point where he found himself looking for excuses to touch and kiss Suzaku. At least as a guard he had an excuse to keep Suzaku away, now as a Knight of the Round, Suzaku would be closer than ever. But that was a good thing, right? It was better for the emperor to be involved with a knight than with a commoner, but it wouldn't be the same since Suzaku was a Number.

Either way, Suzaku would be going back to Pendragon with him when he handed Area 11 over to Euphemia. There Suzaku would be safe from whatever Euphemia wanted to do with him. Lelouch's hand clenched on the piece of fabric. He was probably just overreacting, wanting to protect the one thing that was his alone. He could protect Nunnally, his very position as emperor allowed for that, but protecting Suzaku was another thing entirely.


	11. Chapter 11

** Chapter Eleven **

_September 12, 2017_

Gino stared at the door to the large hangar, tipping his head to the side with the smirk. He had never understood why this building was there, it had always been avoided by most of the military forces. But the two newest knights had been visiting the place quite often, always returning to their hall sweaty and exhausted. That still only accounted for two of the three new knights, but not the third. The Eleven never even came down their hall, but that was probably the best. Still, if the pattern that the new knights followed was correct, the Eleven would be here.

He reached out, pushing the door open and walking in through the small hallway and out into the open space. Gino glanced to once side, raising his eyebrow at the two Knightmare Frames that were standing to one side. So those were the rumored float units, Gino tilted his head to the side as he stared at the bulky packs that were placed on the Knightmare's backs. He hoped that they would be improved quickly for the sake of the Knights of the Round, they looked fragile from where he was standing.

He turned his attention elsewhere, staring at the impressive white Knightmare on the opposite side of the hangar. Gino whistled under his breath, barely aware of the sound echoing in the hangar. He ran a hand through his hair, walking across the room to where the computers were, keeping an eye on the white Knightmare. There were a few lights flickering on the Frame to show that it was in use, Gino following the flashes of light for a moment before concentrating on climbing up the steps to the bank of computers.

A woman was sitting in the chair, bent over the screen. She didn't notice him approach, too busy staring at the numbers that were flashing on the screen. His eyebrows rose at the data that they were pulling from the Knightmare Frame. They were high numbers, even for a Knight of the Round. Personally, he could only pull numbers like that off on his best days. Only Bismarck could match those numbers, and only in his Galahad. "Impressive."

The woman jumped, turning around to look at him with a gasp. Gino watched as her eyes widened comically before she calmed down, placing a hand over her heart. "Sir Weinberg."

He gave her a wide smile before bowing. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize. I didn't hear you come in." She turned back to the computer, placing a hand against her headset to steady it before speaking. "We've got the data Lloyd wanted. You can come out now."

Gino didn't hear the answer from the other end, watching as the white Knightmare was shut down. He whistled again, leaning on the other chair and continuing to stare at the numbers that were on the screen, holding steady now. "That's the best I've seen."

"He's a…good pilot."

He heard the hesitation, tipping his head to the side before deciding to ignore it. "I hope he's slated for the Knights of the Round the next time someone retires. It would be insane to just keep him back."

"He's already a member." The response was whispered, Gino having to lean forward to hear it. He frowned when he saw that she looked frightened. Gino pushed away from the chair he was leaning on, glancing up at the Knightmare. Why would the technician be afraid of him finding out who was piloting the Knightmare? Or was he just that intimidating. Or it might be the randomness of his arrival.

Gino shrugged and leaned back against the railing, watching as the cockpit slid backwards, his mouth falling open as he watched the Eleven step out of the Knightmare and onto the scaffolding. He glanced back at the screen, running through the numbers again just to make sure. The Eleven had almost matched Bismarck's scores, just a few points under. Bismarck would have to look out if the Eleven decided to go for the Knight of One's space, he would have a fight on his hands.

"Miss. Cecile, did Lloyd say anything about the delay time? Because it seems to be getting longer. Or is that just-" The Eleven froze as he saw Gino, reaching out to grab onto the railing. Gino watched the Eleven frown at him before continuing to walk down the steps. "Is that just me?"

Cecile glanced back at Gino before shaking her head. "The delay is longer when the Lancelot is stationary, it should go back to normal when you pilot it."

The Eleven nodded, stopping by the consoles and staring over at Gino. He sighed, prepared to introduce himself when the Eleven tipped his head to the side before he smiled. "Sir Weinberg?"

"Y-yes." Gino didn't know why he stuttered over the word, probably because the Eleven knew his name or the nearly flawless accent that the Eleven spoke with. He had expected the thick accents that he had trouble understanding. Gino cleared his throat and smiled. "That would make you Sir Kururugi."

He caught the wince that Suzaku gave, not quite sure what to make of it. Gino hid his indecision with a smile and threw his arm around Suzaku to pull him close. He ignored the cut off shout of surprise, keeping him close. "I must say, you're an impressive pilot."

Suzaku looked down. "It's just a test run."

"Still impressive." Suzaku wasn't looking at him, still staring at the floor. Gino jostled him gently, offering a smile. "Come on, you're being recognized for your skill. We're happy to have you with us." Suzaku gave him a sideways glance, Gino just laughing. "Well, I am. The others would be if you actually came to talk to us."

"I'm going to have to turn down that invitation. I have other duties to attend to."

"Really?"

"Really. The emperor has personally requested my help in certain matters."

Suzaku still wasn't looking at him, Gino feeling his smile waver at that. He could understand why inviting Suzaku down to the common room would make the Eleven balk, he wouldn't be welcome there. But he was a Knight of the Round, it was his right, his nationality shouldn't stop him from doing that. Then again, if the emperor demanded that Suzaku stay with him, Gino couldn't argue with the order.

He removed his arm from Suzaku's shoulder, giving him a gentle slap on the back. "Don't forget about yourself, alright?"

Suzaku gave him a mumbled reply, ducking out of his hold and walking towards what Gino assumed was the locker room. He hummed to himself before leaning forward on the railing, watching Suzaku walk away. His attention was drawn away from Suzaku as Lelouch walked into the hangar, the emperor walking after him and shutting the door to the locker room. Gino chuckled and pushed away from the railing, surprised when he met Cecile's gaze.

"You know he can't."

"He can."

"Of course he can." Cecile waved her hand, Gino surprised at the glare that she gave him. "But he won't be welcome."

"He will. He's a Knight of the Round."

Cecile stared at him before rolling her eyes. "I understand what you're trying to do, but I don't think Suzaku will appreciate it. He'd prefer to lay low because of what he is."

"An Eleven?" Gino laughed. "People will forget about that."

He was surprised when she just rolled her eyes, about to ask her what she was trying to imply when he saw Suzaku and Lelouch leaving the locker room. Suzaku dutifully trailing behind Lelouch as the two of them made their way out of the hangar. Gino watched them for a moment before shaking his head, turning to look at Cecile with a smile. "So, when do I have to bring in the Tristan for a tune up?"

* * *

It was the most comfortable announcement he had given in a while. Usually he was tense during these, watching the faces in the audience and trying to anticipate what the rest of the empire was thinking as well as being aware of the people at his back. But Suzaku was there, Suzaku and Jeremiah, and he had never felt safer.

There was a signal from the person behind the camera, Lelouch watching his fingers move as the cameraman counted down the time until they would go live, quickly glancing over at Euphemia to be sure that she was ready. His sister gave him the faintest nod, Lelouch turning back to the camera just as the cameraman gave him the signal to go.

"People of Area 11, I take this time to present to you the new Viceroy of your Area." Lelouch saw the few people in the room looking nervous. The Britannians that remained here were probably worrying what this would mean. He knew that they had felt more comfortable with the emperor in Area 11, that it meant that they would get justice immediately. A viceroy was more likely to only move when it was in their interest. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, turning his attention back to the camera. He had been here for too long if they felt safer with him here. "I present Princess Euphemia li Britannia, Viceroy of Area 11."

He stepped to the side, watching as Euphemia stepped up to where he had stood, surprised at how well she held herself together. Perhaps he should have asked her to take this job sooner, then he could have moved his plans up. But rushing wouldn't have helped, he needed the time to garner the reputation that he needed to have this work as well as set up the contacts that he would need after his short reign was over. Then again, Euphemia probably needed the time to gain the reputation of the perfect princess that would play well off of his own reputation.

Lelouch took a step back, standing slightly closer to Suzaku as he watched his sister smile at the camera. "Citizens of Area 11, I thank you for your time and I am happy to have this position." Euphemia tilted her head to the side. "I hope to bring a new era of prosperity to Area 11 and that you will allow me to do so without too much trouble. All I want is a better world for everyone. And, as a show of my sincerity, I present Sir Suzaku Kururugi, the first Number who is also a Knight of the Round."

Lelouch's eyes widened at that, the announcement was not part of the plan. She was deviating from the plan. He had a moment of panic before he saw Euphemia glance back at him. She was doing this for him, taking the blame for the unpopular choice of making Suzaku a Knight of the Round. Euphemia was offering herself up as a champion for the Elevens, and putting herself directly in the line of fire. But it was far too soon for the move. It would win her the affection of the Elevens, but the Britannians would hate her.

And he would have to kill her.

He sucked in a quick breath at that thought, turning his head slightly to one side to try and get her to stop. If she continued like this, he would have to confront Euphemia about this, and that would lose them the truce that he was using to his advantage. He couldn't be in Area 11 and begin to cut out the corruption in Britannia.

Euphemia smiled at him before reaching out for Suzaku, the knight hesitating before taking her hand. Lelouch watched him go, fighting back the increasing panic. He had made the situation worse by allowing the two of them to work together, and Suzaku had to act that part. And that would put Suzaku in danger as well.

He refused to kill Suzaku.

Lelouch forced himself to remain still as Euphemia pulled Suzaku up to stand beside her, still holding onto his hand. Lelouch didn't have to act like he was angry at his sister, glaring at her back as she continued to smile at the camera, oblivious to his rage and Suzaku's discomfort. "His promotion is a symbol of the equality I hope to establish in Area 11, with Britannians and Japanese working together instead of fighting."

His mouth dropped open as Euphemia referred to the Elevens as Japanese, quickly snapping it shut again. He had to stop staring in shock and actually plan. The first thing would be to cut off the broadcast before Euphemia went much further. Lelouch glanced over at the camera crew, watching as they stared at him in surprise before scrambling to follow his silent order, Lelouch turning his attention back to Euphemia as she continued.

"As my first act as Viceroy, I will created a Special Administrative Zone, a place where the Elevens may call themselves Japanese again and have all the rights as a Britannian citizen without having to give up their Japanese heritage as they would with the Honorary Britannian system today. If we work together instead of fighting, I know that we can create a more peaceful world."

The light on the top of the camera flickered off, Euphemia tensing at that. She had probably planned on saying more, Lelouch breathing a sight of relief. It would have been dangerous if she had gone on, but it was dangerous enough that she had made that promise. Euphemia always kept her promises, and the Elevens were close to her heart after having watched them struggle up close instead of locked away in Pendragon.

He turned and walked away, quickly making his way through the corridors towards their private rooms. He wanted nothing more than to shout at Euphemia there, but he had to keep up appearances, that's all he had at this point. With Euphemia openly defying him, she was putting herself in the line of fire, which meant that he couldn't go back to Britannia, not without showing that he actually approved of her plan. And, worse, she had pulled Suzaku into it.

Lelouch had hoped that knighting Suzaku without any explanation would push the blame onto him for pulling an Eleven out of their proper space. He could deal easily with the rumors that would come for that move. The emperor was allowed to have his favorites, even if the common people didn't like his tastes. Lelouch's own mother had been a commoner that Charles zi Britannia and pulled up to the rank of knight because of her skills. The story that had gotten out at the time was that she was his mistress, which wasn't entirely a lie.

Now that Euphemia had pulled Suzaku up with her, it looked like she had been the one to convince Lelouch to knight him, something that he had wanted to avoid at all costs. Euphemia already had Sir Raleigh's attention, showing that she preferred someone else without an official break would split the Knights of the Round in two. Even worse, Suzaku was now a target for those that wouldn't agree with Euphemia's plans. They would aim for what they thought would hurt the most. Why run the risk of execution that came with murdering a princess when they could just kill an Eleven?

Lelouch ran a hand over his face, leaning against the wall by his study as he waited for the door to slide open. Then there was her idea for the Special Administrative Zone. It worked in theory, but that was about it. It wouldn't produce the stunning results that the people and Euphemia hoped for immediately, that would take years and even more bloodshed. After decades of being told that they had been evolved into the people that would survive, the Britannians wouldn't take so easily to the idea that they were, in fact, equal with the people that they had conquered. And the Japanese wouldn't take too kindly to the fact that they were being granted the small space by their captors. They would demand their entire country back.

He trudged into his study, collapsing onto the chair behind the desk, staring at the polished wood. He had told Euphemia that the Special Administrative Zone would be their last ditch attempt to get the JLF on their side. Apparently, she had taken his go ahead for approval, which was the last thing on his mind. With just a few words and her usual smile, Euphemia had managed to demolish the plans that they had been working so hard on. He couldn't go back to Britannia with this hanging over his head, it would be openly declaring his support for the idea.

Lelouch ran his hands over his face, shaking his head before straightening up. This just meant that he would have to carefully plan everything over the next few days, possibly maneuver Euphemia into a position where he could leave for Britannia. Although, now that the Special Administrated Zone was going through he would have to pretend to leave, send all but a few of the Knights of the Round back and keep one with him. Then Euphemia would be under his supervision and he could make sure that she wasn't used or hurt.

The door slid open, Lelouch looking up from the desk as Euphemia and Suzaku walked into the room. His sister was laughing and hanging onto Suzaku's arm, the look on Suzaku's face hinting that Euphemia had been clinging to him like that all the way here. Another complication invented by Euphemia.

He narrowed his eyes, Suzaku taking that moment to wiggle away from Euphemia and walk over to Lelouch's side. He followed Suzaku's movements, waiting until the knight was standing by him before speaking. "What was that?"

"Did I do alright?"

"Euphy," he rubbed his forehead, "what you did possibly made it worse. Probably made it worse."

"Made it worse?" Euphemia stared at him, her mouth dropping open. "I've done the right thing! The Japanese people will start to trust me now."

"And the Britannians will hate you for forcing this on them."

"They'll learn to deal with it. Like what you've been doing is any different."

"Euphemia." Lelouch stood up, leaning forward on the desk. "You've made two big mistakes. One, you've openly declared yourself my enemy. The people will be expecting me to act, which means that I can't leave you here, I have to act. Two, you've put yourself in the line of fire."

"You already said that."

"From the inside. You pulled Suzaku up with you, it implied that you were behind getting him knighted."

"I was."

"But I was trying to prevent that." Lelouch growled under his breath, trying to calm down. "I was trying to have it point to me, that I chose Suzaku for the knighthood because I liked the way he looked. But you turned the idea to you, which means that the Britannian people will hate you for what you've done. I was trying to save you that mark."

"You didn't need to. My reputation-"

"Couldn't handle it. Mine can." Lelouch sat back down in his chair, listening to Suzaku shift behind him. He held his breath for a moment, letting it out slowly. "Euphy, the Special Administrative Zone won't work, not the way you or the JLF will want it too, at least not in the time frame that you want. They will use you, Euphy."

"I'm prepared to take that risk. They saved your life, yours and Suzaku's. It's worth the risk." Euphemia turned around without bothering to wait for him to dismiss her, pausing by the door. She stared at him for a moment longer before averting her gaze to look at Suzaku. "Ten minutes, my room. I want to speak with the JLF."

Lelouch turned to glare at Suzaku, listening as the door slid open and then shut before standing up. Suzaku immediately looked over at him, Lelouch liking the way that Suzaku immediately shifted his full attention to him. He raised an eyebrow, watching as Suzaku dropped to a bow. "Your majesty."

"Don't do that."

"You don't trust me."

"Of course I do." Lelouch turned around, waving his hand in Suzaku's direction. "I wouldn't have allowed you to be promoted if I didn't. I wouldn't have kept you this close if I didn't. Even if you have your stupid reasons, I respect that." He cleared his throat. "You offered to give up your own life for mine."

"It's my duty."

"You could have handed me over."

Suzaku looked shocked, staring at him before quickly scrambling to his feet. "I wouldn't have, you're too important."

Lelouch grinned. "Is that a confession, Sir Kururugi?"

Suzaku blushed, looking down at the ground. "Y-you're mistaken, your highness. You're the emperor, you're far more important than another Eleven."

"Just another Eleven?" Lelouch shook his head and leaned back in his chair, enjoying the fact that Suzaku leaned a little further forward to stay close to him. "Hardly. I don't let just anyone close to me."

He reached up, watching as Suzaku jerked in surprise as Lelouch's fingers brushed over the underside of his chin. Suzaku hadn't realized that he was that close then, interesting. Lelouch took a firm hold on Suzaku's chin, pulling him closer. He heard Suzaku suck in a quick breath, the two of them meeting each other's gaze.

Suzaku was the one to initiate the kiss, unlike the other times. Suzaku was the one leaning forward and pushing his hands into Lelouch's hair. Lelouch leaned further back, allowing Suzaku to tilt his head and take control, slipping one hand into Suzaku's hair. He allowed his hand to slide down onto Suzaku's neck, vaguely remembering a spot there that Suzaku reacted wonderfully to, Lelouch almost willing to smirk at that thought.

To his disappointment, Suzaku pulled away quickly, smiling down at him before taking a step back. "Euphemia."

Lelouch slumped at the reminder, biting back a groan and letting his head fall into his hands. "Don't remind me."

"Hey." Suzaku gently touched his cheek, Lelouch fighting back the urge to slap Suzaku's hand away. They could only touch when Lelouch allowed Suzaku to kiss him, or Lelouch needed the stability that Suzaku offered. It wasn't up to the knight to decide those times. That still didn't make the fact that Suzaku's hand felt good against his cheek any less important. Lelouch sighed and let himself lean into the touch, watching as Suzaku smiled. "You'll work this out."

"You trust me that much?"

Suzaku hesitated, dropping his gaze to stare at the ground. Lelouch sighed and went to stand up, stopped when Suzaku exerted a little pressure on his cheek. He tensed as Suzaku's thumb moved over his lips, only relaxing when Suzaku stood up and stepped back. "I do, Lelouch."

He turned and walked out of the study, leaving Lelouch staring after him. It was a few moments after Suzaku's departure that Lelouch managed to collect himself, a fond smile crossing his face. Despite everything, they trusted each other, and the blame for that probably rested on Narita. That didn't matter in the end, that was one person's loyalty that he was sure of, because it was loyalty to him instead of the country.

Lelouch leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. So he had one ally in this; he wasn't willing to count or leave out Euphemia, she was too naïve to realize what she was really doing. That left him trying to plan around what she had just announced and relying on Suzaku to tell him exactly with Euphemia was doing. For the meantime, allowing the Special Administrative Zone to exist wouldn't be too bad, not when he spun it for his advantage; the JLF were too weak to protect the Japanese, so he would do it on his own. Or he could be just buying himself time to spring a trap. Either way would work, and the JLF wouldn't know what to do.

He smiled to himself, shaking his head. That's what he had to do, keep Cornelia worrying about what would happen to Euphemia, he would even pretend to put Nunnally in the line of fire if he had to, if he was sure that the security around her would hold. Euphemia already had a Knight of the Round attached to her, Raleigh would keep her safe no matter what; his loyalty to the empire ensured that. Cornelia would react predictably, trying to ensure that the two were kept safe. That would give Lelouch plenty of time to set up a trap that would work to eliminate the rest of the JLF and figure out how to handle Euphemia's mistake.

* * *

Euphemia tried her best not to frown as Suzaku walked into her room, almost late for their appointment and with his hair still messed up. Usually she would have just attributed to his usually messy style, but the way that it stuck up in the back hinted at someone running their hands through it, probably Lelouch. Euphemia looked away and shoved her jealousy away. After all, she had been the one that had suggested that Lelouch involve himself with someone, just to keep himself sane.

And she had Raleigh, the Knight of the Round more than enough to keep her attention, especially since Suzaku had been knighted. Euphemia attributed his sudden attentiveness to the fear that she might decide that he no longer satisfied her or that he felt threatened by the younger knight. Either way, he spent nearly every night in her room now and Euphemia constantly reminded herself of why she had chosen him for a relationship. Raleigh was a thoughtful and caring man with a sense of humor that he only showed to her and the few people that he could call his friends. It was the reason that she had stuck with him for so long, even though they had both made it clear that they weren't bound to each other alone.

It was nearly enough for her to consider to ask Lelouch what he thought of the match. He couldn't say no on political grounds, he had promised her that she would never be used like that. There weren't many reasons that she could think of that he would deny that marriage on compatibility alone either, he had seen them getting on amiably enough to this point. If anything, Lelouch might be hesitant because she was his sister.

She smiled and looked back up at the screen, her bad mood slightly lifted. She shouldn't be jealous of Lelouch, just happy. He had finally found someone to relax around that wasn't a member of their family. She could allow herself to be annoyed at him for his reaction, but not over Suzaku. The knight was a moot point anyway, she was happy with Raleigh, more than happy.

Euphemia managed to keep the smile on her face as General Katase appeared on the screen, pretending that nothing was wrong. She was getting good at this, pretending to be happy and perfectly innocent all the time. "General."

"Princess." He didn't bow, Katase shaking his head and breathing out slowly. "I must say, things have been moving more quickly than scheduled."

"And I apologize. But I can't do anything about it. What excuse am I to give my brother to wait?" Euphemia sighed. "Things have been moving quickly, but not too quickly, I hope."

"No, we are fully prepared for what must come next. Although, I will admit, I was wanting a bit more time to recover and begin to plan for what the emperor has up his sleeve."

"Which is why I brought the Special Administrative Zone project forward; I plan to distract him with that until you feel ready enough." It wasn't quite a lie, Euphemia really wanted the Special Administrative Zone work and felt that it was the right choice to introduce it first instead of wrangling with the Britannians for the policies that she wanted. But it would the serve the purpose of a distraction, Lelouch would have to plan his movements carefully from this point because he couldn't approve of the Zone in public. "But I do hope that it will work."

"And you will have our support for it." Katase smiled at her, the first genuine smile that she had seen from the man. "Some of our own members will be placed in the Special Administrative Zone for the protection of the Japanese people."

"And as spies."

"Yes, but not on you, you have proved yourself trustworthy many times over." Katase glanced back at where Suzaku was standing, Euphemia forcing herself not to turn around and look at the knight. "Now it's our turn."

Euphemia nodded, folding her hands in her lap. "I have considered the ideas you have for the governing of Japan when you are freed, and I am still planning on how to work them into my own policies. The laws will be easy enough, but rebuilding the government itself might have to wait until we earn our freedom."

"We?"

"I have written up a speech for my abdication of the throne of Britannia, for my own protection of course. With only the three of us left, I am the next in line. I plan to use it if my brother pushes for my death. Without my status, I can slip into the native populace and I am sure that I will have help with that."

"Consider it done." Katase hesitated for a moment before chuckling. "Does this mean that you may intend to marry a Japanese citizen?"

Euphemia bit her lip, thinking over the question. Lelouch had promised her that he wouldn't use her for political gain, but if she put herself in the situation. Then again, it would be a bad idea while she was viceroy with Britannia still stable. "I'm afraid I can't answer, because it would depend on the situation."

"Situation?"

"That's the final sacrifice that I would be willing to offer, and can only be used once. It's better to use that wisely."

"Of course."

"Now, can I depend on you to show up on the day that the Special Administrative Zone opens?" Katase nodded after a moment of hesitation, Euphemia clearing her throat. "And I'll have to stress that you come with only a small group of people and without Knightmares. I'll arrange things to keep you and your people safe, but I can't have it looking like a threat."

"Understandable."

Euphemia opened her mouth to respond when there was a knock on the door. She stared at the door, her eyes wide before she turned back to the screen. "I have to go, we'll continue this conversation at a later time."

Katase nodded and turned off his end of the connection. Euphemia motioned for Suzaku to do the same, quickly walking over to the door. She watched the knight out of the corner of her eye, waiting until he had backed away from the screen before opening the door, putting on her smile as she saw that Raleigh was standing there.

The Knight of Five glanced down at her with a smile, leaning on the doorframe as Euphemia laughed. "Albert, I wasn't expecting you."

"I wasn't expecting to be free either. Apparently, it was my Knightmare's turn to have the float unit attached to it." He shook his head, Euphemia hiding her laugh behind the palm of her hand. "And of course that will take all day with Earl Asplund being the way that he is. So, I suddenly find myself with a lot of free time. Would my lady want to go out to see the city, perhaps, or just stroll around the gardens? Princess Nunnally should be there by now and it is a beautiful-"

Raleigh cut himself off abruptly, Euphemia watching him as he straightened up. His eyes narrowed, Euphemia turned around to find the source of his anger, staring right at Suzaku. With Raleigh's sudden arrival and offer to spend time with her outside of the administrative building, she had forgotten about Suzaku. She hadn't even given him the time to hide, so he was stuck standing between the screen and the bed, frozen in place as Raleigh stared at him.

Only then did Euphemia realize how bad it looked. Suzaku with his wide eyed expression and messy hair and her hesitation in answering the door led to a very obvious conclusion. Thankfully, the bed was still immaculately made, which meant that she wouldn't have to worry about Raleigh jumping to that conclusion.

She was shoved aside as she remained frozen in her panic, Raleigh storming into her room. She reacted an instant later, reaching out to grab the Knight of Five's arm, clinging to him until he stopped just short of Suzaku. "He was just acting as a messenger for my brother! He said that the message was important and there couldn't be any chance of anyone overhearing it."

Raleigh hesitated long enough for Euphemia to slip her arm into his, smiling up at him. "Come on, you promised me a walk in the gardens."

For a moment, she was afraid that Raleigh wouldn't leave with her, surprised when he rested his hand over hers before walking out of the room. Euphemia only risked a single glance back at Suzaku before focusing her full attention on Raleigh. He must have noticed, because he tightened his grip on her hand for a moment before relaxing with a sigh. "You have to be carefully around the Elevens, Euphemia, they're not to be trusted."

"Raleigh…"

"I know that you want to believe in them, but it won't work. They simply don't know how to deal with us other than fight. It's sad, but true and I wish it could be another way." He reached up to push a piece of hair out of her eyes, Euphemia remaining still and allowing him to do it. "Until they settle down, stay away from them."

She could only nod, relieved when he smiled. Euphemia looked away afterwards, biting her lip. Raleigh only did mean the best for her, it wasn't his fault that those values had remained stuck in his head because of her father. It was strange how wonderful it felt to have someone care for her like that, even if he worries were completely unfounded when it came to Suzaku. Still, it was enough for her little fantasy of wedded bliss with Raleigh to come crashing down. She wouldn't be able to live with this man forever, and being viceroy wouldn't help them. She had to find a way to let him down gently, or push their little affair away for a while until she returned to Pendragon.

Maybe then she would have a solution for what she should do.

* * *

Cornelia stared at the screen, part of her aware of how much that she had tensed up, but she was more focused on the words that her little sister had just said. She had expected Lelouch to do something to Euphemia soon, because she wouldn't last long if he asked her how she had saved his life at Narita. But he had just given her the position of viceroy, which made it impossible to see what he was doing. Was he just mocking them or setting Euphy up for a fall? He couldn't just be doing it for no reason, that wasn't like Lelouch. But, until they found out that reason, they would have to be careful because Euphemia was in the perfect position to be blamed for anything that went wrong.

And then there was that Eleven knight. Cornelia had heard rumors about it, but the knighting of the new Knights of the Round hadn't been televised, it had been a private affair with the nobles of the realm. That sounded like Lelouch, giving his nobles a lesson, or it would have if the Eleven hadn't been involved. Lelouch wouldn't have allowed an Eleven to climb up so high in the ranks. And, to make it even stranger, it was the Eleven that had protected Lelouch on that day. Had he lied when he said that he was protecting Lelouch of his own free will? Or had he been there to help the princesses, a plant from one of the now defunct rebel groups?

Either way she wasn't sure if she could trust the knight either; which was something that she could focus on later, much to her relief. The main source of her worry was the Special Administrative Zone that Euphy had started to mention before the broadcast was cut off. The idea of such a place just baffled Cornelia from a planning stand point. It was a good theory, that giving the Elevens a place they could call their own would get them to settle down, but there was little chance that it would work in practice. All the effort that would have to go into it and all of the problems it would cause before it started to solve anything. It wouldn't solve anything with Lelouch in power.

It had to be a set up then.

But then Lelouch had looked shocked when Euphy had announced her plans, that was enough to convince Cornelia that it hadn't been planned out by Lelouch. Her brother would have held onto his mask of indifference if it was his plan or at least looked smug, not shocked. And the murderous look that Lelouch had shot Euphy when he had come to terms with what she had been saying had only been worse. Euphy was acting on her own in this, and Lelouch did not approve. That could only mean that Euphy had a limited amount of time before Lelouch decided she was more of a liability than an asset and disposed of her.

Cornelia turned away from the television that they all had been gathered around, ignoring the Elevens that were trying to get a fix on the signal after the broadcast had suddenly shut off. The announcement wouldn't run again, she knew that much, they weren't going to get any more information on the new idea that offered them freedom.

She walked out of the room and into the hall, surprised when the Guren's pilot followed her out. Cornelia pretended to ignore the young woman until they had found a deserted place in the hall, the young woman crossing her arms over her chest. "Running to report to your brother?"

"This is an unexpected development."

"Of course." The young woman laughed and leaned back against the wall, turning her head to watch the empty hallway. "Would it work?"

"No. Not the way they think it will." Cornelia watched as the young woman slumped, waiting for her to walk away, surprised when she stayed in place.

"Is there a way for it to work, somehow?"

"Possibly. I have my own ideas and Schneizel will. But Euphy thinks differently than the two of us."

"It doesn't matter what Euphemia thinks." The young woman glanced back at her. "It's what Lelouch thinks. How much will he let slide before he crushes us? Or is this just a trap for the JLF?"

"I…I don't know at this point."

"There's too much of that." The young woman sighed, tipping her head back against the wall. "I've thought about what you've said, and I agree." Cornelia stared openly, the young woman smiling. "The people in command here are hiding too much from us and they've been using us for too long."

"Is that a yes?"

"It's a temporary yes." The young woman walked away, Cornelia staring after her before retreating to her own room.

Calling Schneizel would have to wait for a while, until she had pretended to come up with a plan that the JLF could use. She had already spent too much time talking to him when she had flimsy excuses, the JLF leaders were getting noticeably jumpy about it. So, for about a day, she had to figure this out on her own.

Cornelia sat down on the cot that served as her bed, leaning back against the wall and staring at the ceiling. Because the Special Administrative Zone had come as a surprise to Lelouch, they couldn't quite predict what he would do. He would have to go along with the idea for a while, just because he had appointed Euphy as viceroy, the reasons for that Cornelia was still unclear about. Those reasons aside, Lelouch would let things happen but probably be arranging things behind the scenes. There were many ways that Euphy could meet with an accident while in the Tokyo Settlement, too many ways.

She shivered and slid down the wall, wrapping her arms around herself. What she wanted to do was gather together a group of pilots and shift to a position close to the Tokyo Settlement and wait for a chance to rescue her little sister, but that wouldn't happen. Katase was more than willing to let Euphy die in order to get his country back. Cornelia narrowed her eyes. As soon as Lelouch was out of the way she would make sure that Japan stayed under the control of Britannia. After all of the trouble that they had caused the empire, it was their just punishment.

Still, brooding over what she would do wouldn't help, neither would just sitting around. The fact of the matter was that she didn't have a squad of pilots to call her own, the Glaston Knights were wiped out and she had to depend on the young woman and her rebel group. At least she had that.

Cornelia took a deep breath and got her thoughts back in order. She had to keep a close eye on Euphy over the next few days however she could. Lelouch wouldn't act for a while, and then he could just shoot down the project before it was completely. But that would probably be violating the deal that Euphy and the JLF had set up, which would lead to the JLF demanding a plan that they could use to attack the Tokyo Settlement.

She straightened up at that, a smile crossing her face. If she planned out an attack first, maybe she could convince General Katase to allow her to speak to her sister and another deal would be worked out. Area 11 would get its freedom, at least for the time being, and Euphy could get herself and Nunnally out. Cornelia still wasn't sure if she could let Lelouch slip from her grasp again, especially after all that he had done. Even if that idea failed, their plan to attack the Tokyo Settlement could go off without a hitch and her specification to allow the princesses to escape without any harm, Nunnally and Euphy would willingly become their allies.

It all came down to a matter of being able to move before Lelouch did. Lelouch would have more red tape to go through, despite his status of emperor, so they would have the upper hand once again. And, as long as they had that, they could keep Lelouch off balance. If Lelouch was too busy trying to counter them, then it would be all too easy to defeat him.

* * *

Kallen sat on the top bunk in the corner, watching the small group of former Black Knights as they shifted nervously. She scanned the room, picking out people from other resistance groups, none of the original JLF members in the room. That was their saving grace, considering what they were thinking. If the JLF found out, then they would all be finished, marked and traitors and sent away. And Lelouch would probably have them killed on sight if they wandered too close to the cities. But this had to be done if they wanted to survive.

She straightened up as much as she could as the mumbling died down, careful to avoid the low ceiling as she watched the crowd gather closer to Ohgi, Kallen hesitant to slip from her place. It was a well known fact that she was the ace pilot of the Black Knights. If she showed visible support for this idea then it might convince people to join for the wrong reasons, or that's what Ohgi said. So she would just have to sit here while they decided what to do. But her mind was already made up. She would work with Cornelia as long as it suited them.

"If we do agree to this, what will happen if the rest find out about us?"

Ohgi didn't look surprised by the question, he and Kallen had spent nights talking about it. Kallen had tried to think of every scenario, but had quickly left that to Ohgi, she was much better at just acting. But, from the confidence that she could see on his face, he had come up with ideas.

He shifted in place, finally sitting down on a chair. "Then we'll have to take over the JLF. It might be the right time to do so."

"I agree."

Kallen smiled at the first voice of agreement, leaning forward as others piped up, trying to break the silence that had come with the announcement.

"They only started looking out for us now."

"We had the emperor, why did they let him go?"

Ohgi gestured for silence, Kallen leaning forward to be able to see him. "Right now it's more important to focus on the new viceroy and what she's offered us. What do you all think of the Special Administrative Zone?"

The room was quickly filled with shouts, the answers ranging from complete support to demands to kill the new viceroy. Ohgi had to gesture for silence again, Kallen narrowing her eyes as she watched him lean forward. It was a tough question to consider, whether they would take the small freedom allowed to them or continue to resist. The viceroy seemed to be sympathetic towards them, but that could change when she realized that her brother wouldn't support her at all. Then again, she should have known that before now. But that meant that she had been working against Lelouch for both the knighting of Suzaku Kururugi and to announce the Special Administrative Zone.

Ohgi cleared his throat, glancing at Kallen before focusing on the rest of the group. "For now, we're in line with what the JLF thinks about the Zone. You are all entitled to your separate opinions and now is not the time to discuss them. But we do need an official stance for if we need to break."

"That depends on how the Zone works." Kallen took the moment to speak up, watching as all the eyes turned to her. "Personally, I don't like the idea, but if Princess Euphemia can manage to get more from Britannia, I'm all for it. And if it fails," Kallen shrugged, "then we don't follow it down."

There were nods from around the room, Kallen holding Ohgi's gaze before allowing herself to fall sideways on the bed, watching as the people milled around, talking to each other. It wasn't much to agree on what to do about the Zone, but it was something; it was a start. If they could just keep agreeing, then they could probably have a chance, even if the JLF went under.

She frowned and turned onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. That just left the offer from Princess Cornelia. From her point of view of the offer sounded just like a guard for Princess Euphemia, which wouldn't be too bad. The princess had already showed that she was sympathetic to their cause, so it would be a worthy endeavor. With Euphemia away from danger, Kallen had a feeling that Cornelia wouldn't hesitate to order an all out attack. And maybe the effect of seeing Lelouch scrambling to fight against them would finally spur some of the other countries into action.

Kallen bit back a laugh at that thought. She was thinking like a rookie again. The other countries didn't care about what would happen to them, they only wanted Britannia to keep its attention away from them and Japan was proving to be a good distraction. They were on their own here, with the exception of the other Britannian prince hiding somewhere, the one that Cornelia was allowed to talk to. But Kallen highly doubted that he actually cared what happened to him. All of the Britannian royalty were the same, they were just using this war to try and snatch the throne back from Lelouch, they didn't actually care about the countries that they destroyed to do it. And Kallen couldn't be sure that they would just give Japan back to them so easily.

She frowned up at the ceiling, her head starting to ache. From that point of view, she couldn't see a way to win back Japan, it would just be tossed around. Or, it wouldn't be won back in her lifetime. Not unless they were able to force the hand of the next emperor or somehow convince Euphemia that letting them go would be a good idea. Kallen shut her eyes, draping one arm across her stomach and just listening to the plans that were being made.

* * *

Suzaku dutifully followed Lelouch out into the gardens, not sure why they were heading out here in the first place. Nunnally had long since gone to bed, and he hadn't seen Euphemia since Raleigh had dragged her away from him. He had spent the rest of his day trying to avoid the Knights of the Round as a whole and to keep from running into Raleigh again. Although he was sure that the story had circulated by now that he had been seen with the princess in her rooms, alone. And after she had pulled him up beside her specifically and had refused to let go of his hand, most of the public now thought that they had planned this out together.

He shook his head, nearly running into Lelouch as the emperor came to a stop. Suzaku mumbled an apology and took a step back. Lelouch shot him an amused smirk before going to sit on a nearby bench. Suzaku went to stand closer to the path, the bushes obstructing his view.

"No." He froze as Lelouch spoke, turning around to look at the emperor. Lelouch gestured to the seat beside him. Suzaku hesitated for a moment before moving to take a seat beside Lelouch. "No one will look for us here, we're safe enough."

"You don't know that."

"It's enough for now. It's hard to talk to you when you're guarding me. You don't pay attention."

"I have other things to worry about."

Lelouch chuckled. "I suppose I shouldn't complain."

"You shouldn't." Suzaku managed a quick smile before sobering again, waiting to hear what Lelouch would have to say. Lately he had been allowing himself to get distracted when around Lelouch, to the point where the both of them would end up getting nothing done. He had even resorted to hiding himself away with Lloyd and Cecile, loitering in the A.S.E.E.C hangar for as long as he could before heading back to the main building. Lloyd was overjoyed with the development, but Cecile had started to ask him if anything was wrong. She was probably wondering if he was allowing the Knights of the Round to beat him up, despite the fact that he made a point of avoiding the other Rounds.

Still, it gave him the time to help Lloyd on the time machine or assist Cecile with the upgrades to the Knightmare Frames. It meant that the Knightmare Frames were being completed faster and the time machine's repair was moving along nicely, although Suzaku hadn't quite been able to talk Lloyd out of adding things, like making the console read outs easier to navigate through. The bad part was that it kept him away from Lelouch's plotting sessions in his study, so Suzaku was suddenly out of the loop of information. And the only way to get that information was to talk to Lelouch alone, which would lead to them kissing. They had spent a good portion of the last hour sprawled on the couch in Lelouch's room, making out until Lelouch had declared at he wanted some air.

"Suzaku." He jumped as Lelouch spoke, turning to look at the emperor and inclining his head.

"Sorry."

"Distracted?" Lelouch smirked, Suzaku turning his head and blushing. His eyes widened as Lelouch reached out to grab his chin, gently encouraging Suzaku to look at him again. "Focus, Knight of Seven."

"Yes, your majesty."

"Better." Lelouch let go of him before sitting back on the bench, his back resting against the tree behind them. Suzaku shifted to sit sideways on the bench, crossing his legs. Lelouch gave him a single glance before closing his eyes. "About Euphy and her plan…"

Suzaku winced, looking down at the ground. Euphemia's future remained a big mystery to him. He had changed the future just enough that he didn't know what was going on. If he hadn't told Lelouch what the battle plan was at Narita, Lelouch wouldn't have gotten himself caught and nearly killed. Britannia had won at Narita, but barely. If Suzaku had remained silent, Lelouch would have just struggled up the mountain before capturing the JLF headquarters and wiping out the forces that remained behind. Before, where there would have only been a small force to beat, there was the entire strength of the JLF.

He ran a hand over his face. The way things were going, he didn't know how they could win the rest of their battles. All the ones that Lelouch should have found so easy would be against larger forces, and that was his fault alone.

And then that still left Euphemia. Suzaku supposed that it didn't matter what had happened to him in his unaltered time, especially since he had changed so much already. He might not be able to even depend on his own information about the battle arrangements. Still, if he worded his suggestions as suggestions instead of actual orders then Lelouch would be safe. As long as the order of the events remained the same and the world hated Lelouch and what he was doing, his future should have been mostly safe.

He looked up as Lelouch shifted, the emperor now looking at him. "The best plan of action would be to treat her as if she's just being a silly little girl. If I show the nobles that I think that this Special Administrative Zone won't work, then they will do their best to make sure that it doesn't work and the message will be sent to the people. Then, I can return to Pendragon to continue from there.

"While Euphy struggles with the nobles here, I'll be breaking up their support back in the homeland. The system is corrupt and outdated anyway, they have far too much power than I am comfortable with." Lelouch waved a hand dismissively, clearing his throat before plunging onward. "When the nobles realize that I am against them, they will throw their support behind the next most publically seen royal, the one that shows sympathy for those who are being abused. Euphy will get their support and her little project will flourish then. And, she'll have started passing laws that will help the Japanese people. By the time I'm finished, Japan will be essentially free and the next stage of my plan will begin."

Suzaku opened his mouth to ask about the next stage of Lelouch's plan only to have his stomach drop. Lelouch was talking about faking his own death. He tried to speak, feeling the words catch in his throat. He shook his head, clearing his throat to attempt to speak again. "What about Nunnally?"

"I'll take the time to find a safe place for her to be. I'll be joining her once Euphy is secure in her place." Lelouch gave him a sad smile. "Euphy will have Cornelia and Schneizel to help her, she's good at manipulating the two of them. And Nunnally will be able to come out of hiding and visit them in safety."

"And you'll be alone."

"Will I be?" Lelouch looked at him, Suzaku quickly turning his gaze away. "Are you wondering about your part in this?"

Suzaku nodded, glad to avoid the inevitable question. He didn't know how he was going to explain to Lelouch his plans without sounding insane or leaving it vague. Lelouch was too smart to fall for a stuttered lie, the only kind of excuse that Suzaku felt up to giving at the moment. He swallowed and focused back on Lelouch, relaxing when he realized that the emperor had closed his eyes again.

"As much as I'd prefer to have you come with me, it's best that you remain behind with Euphy, you'll be the only Knight of the Round remaining behind. It'll show that I don't trust you and go with the idea that Euphy was the one responsible for getting you knighted; the people will like it better."

"And you'll be in Britannia?"

"Officially."

Suzaku caught the smile that crossed Lelouch's face for a split second, shaking his head and finding himself mimicking the smile. "Unofficially?"

"I'll be here. Officially having left before the Zone even opens shows that I don't care that much about it and expect it to fail. For Euphy's sake, I'll remain a few days. After that it will be up to the two of you."

"You'll call, right?" Suzaku hated himself for sounding like a worried girlfriend, blushing at the thought. A chuckle from Lelouch told him that the emperor had caught him blushing, Suzaku glaring at Lelouch and shifting so he was staring forward instead of at Lelouch.

"Of course. Euphy and I need to keep in touch to be able to time everything perfectly." Lelouch leaned forward, coming into Suzaku's line of vision. "And after all of this is done-"

"I can't stay." Suzaku bit his lip, dropping his gaze to the ground, tightening his hold on the bench. "Beyond a year, I can't stay. I have to go…" He swallowed, feeling his arms tremble. "I'm sorry that I can't stay with Euphemia…but I just can't."

There was silence for a while, Suzaku finding himself holding his breath. Lelouch finally spoke, Suzaku nearly falling off the bench as he relaxed suddenly. "This is one of those things you can't tell me the reason behind, I suppose?"

"Yes."

"And I should question you more on it, because that seems to be your reason more often than not."

Suzaku glanced up at him, freezing in place as Lelouch stared down at him. He licked his lips, trying to calm his racing heart. "I'll tell you one day, before I go. I promise."

"I hold you to that." Lelouch went back to leaning against the tree, staring up at the sky. Suzaku turned his gaze to the sky as well, frowning when he realized that he couldn't see the stars because of the light from the rest of the city. Suzaku glanced back down at Lelouch, surprised to see that the emperor looked disappointed. "I was hoping that I could convince you to remain with Nunnally."

"Nunnally?"

Lelouch nodded. "She needs a knight when she goes to visit the capital."

"Nunnally needs a knight?" Suzaku raised an eyebrow before laughing. "I thought for sure that you would keep me with Euphemia."

"She already has Raleigh and she'll have the Knights of the Round as the empress. It would have been simple enough for me to have an order put out that would keep you with Nunnally as a favor to the empress."

"And spend the rest of my life stuck with you?"

"It wouldn't be that bad, would it?"

Suzaku felt the corner of his mouth twist up in a smile. "Maybe not. But I have a feeling that I would end up on the couch. There's a reason to decline."

"I could give you other reasons." Suzaku sat up abruptly, Lelouch looking as equally as surprised by the words that had come out of his mouth. The emperor looked disgusted for a moment before he turned away. "Or I could just order you to follow me after all of this."

"That's playing favorites."

"I'm allowed. I'm the emperor. Other Britannian emperors had favorites."

Suzaku chuckled, trying his best to make it sound like he wasn't nervous. The favorites of the Britannian emperors often became their lovers, or at least from what he could remember from history class. That was the last thing on his mind when concerning Lelouch, or that's what he struggled to remind himself. It was too risky, too dangerous and Lelouch was getting too close to him.

He leaned back, clearing his throat. "I-I don't think the public would approve. They're probably waiting for an heir from you."

"They're supposed to hate me." Lelouch moved closer, Suzaku rolling to the side to avoid him only to roll onto the ground.

He grunted as he hit the ground, getting a glimpse of the sky before it was blocked as Lelouch loomed over him. Suzaku thought about getting up for a moment before deciding that it was better just to lie on the ground. He turned his head so he could stare up at Lelouch, surprised when the emperor dropped into a crouch next to him. Lelouch stared at him for a moment before reaching out to push his fingers into Suzaku's hair, Suzaku finding himself leaning into the action, closing his eyes.

A sigh from Lelouch made him open his eyes, Suzaku blinking quickly when he realized what he had done. He glanced over at Lelouch, relaxing as the emperor smiled softly at him. "They expect Euphemia to have an heir, they just want me dead. That gives me a lot of freedom."

"Strange." Suzaku wasn't even sure if his response was the right one, he was too distracted by the sight of Lelouch shifting to straddle him, the emperor sprawling out over him the next moment. Suzaku hummed and tipped his head back, leaning into the fingers that were softly massaging his scalp.

"It wouldn't matter what they thought anyway. Schneizel had Kanon, the public knew about the two of them."

"He was his…aide…" The last word came out as a whine, Lelouch's fingers finding and stroking that one spot on his neck that made him go limp. Suzaku hummed happily, arching up into Lelouch as the spot was stroked again.

"So they said." Lelouch leaned forward to whisper in Suzaku's ear. "But no aide I've seen is that close to their master, nor do they spend every night in their lord's bedroom."

Suzaku went to speak, only to have the words dissolve into a whine. He went to reach for Lelouch only to have his hands pinned above his head. He glanced up at them before focusing on Lelouch again, realizing that he was breathing quickly. "L-Lelouch…"

"Hm?" Suzaku jumped as he felt Lelouch place a kiss on the corner of his jaw. "Yes, my knight?"

He tried to pull his hands free, moaning as Lelouch rubbed their cheeks together. Suzaku licked his lips, his eyes widening as Lelouch suddenly loomed over him. He opened his mouth to attempt to speak again when Lelouch leaned down. He pushed up eagerly into the kiss, reaching up as soon as Lelouch released his arms. One hand immediately buried itself in Lelouch's hair and the other went around Lelouch's waist, pulling the emperor closer.

Suzaku gasped at the friction that came from the tug, bucking his hips up into Lelouch and whining into the kiss. He gasped when Lelouch let him, clutching the emperor close. "Lelouch…"

"Mine, Sir Kururugi." Suzaku blinked, laying still as Lelouch pressed a possessive kiss to his lips, barely giving him time to respond. "Mine and no one else's."

Suzaku stared wide eyed up at Lelouch, his chest heaving as he panted for breath. He was not sure how to respond. It was giving Lelouch too much, too much for him to just walk back to the future. So Suzaku chose not to say anything, tilting his head back and allowing Lelouch to kiss him again and again.


	12. Chapter 12

** Chapter Twelve **

_September 23, 2017_

"Sir Raleigh." He looked up as the emperor addressed him, quickly getting to his feet.

"Your Majesty. I thought that you had returned to the homeland."

Lelouch smirked and leaned against the doorway, Raleigh stared at the emperor, not used to seeing him in casual clothes. In fact, he was sure that he had never seen the emperor in anything other than the elaborate outfit that he wore on a nearly daily basis. He realized that he was staring and dropped into a bow.

He heard Lelouch laugh and walk over to him, standing only when Lelouch touched his shoulder. "That's what I wanted everyone to think. I merely returned long enough to check on my wayward sister, the same reason you remained behind."

Raleigh frowned at that, standing up and making sure to keep his face turned down. Lelouch was correct in assuming that he had remained behind because of Euphemia, although he had structured his argument as the protection of both princesses. But he had assumed that he would actually see Euphemia since Lelouch had left six days ago. Instead she had been walking around with that upstart Eleven or sequestered in her rooms, probably with that same Eleven.

He was her lover. He was the one that she professed to love. And he was a Britannian, not a lowly number.

It was obscene what Euphemia was doing, and he would have been willing to forgive her if she had been forced. But Euphemia was completely willing, even goading him into giving her kisses and blushing the entire time, like she was a virgin.

Raleigh gritted his teeth, trying to fight back the anger and sadness that had followed him around for six days. It would have been better if she had just talked to him instead of avoiding him. If only she had explained to him, then he might have gotten a chance to speak to her before she made a mistake.

The more angry side of him was just waiting for the day she announced that she was marrying the damn Eleven and that she was carrying his child. And he wished her a thousand horrible deaths for making him entertain that thought alone.

Raleigh had always been ready to lose her, she was a princess of Britannia. Lelouch may have promised her freedom to chose who she would marry, but Raleigh didn't have the same trust in the emperor as she did. Euphemia's trust was colored with the experiences that they had shared in childhood, but Raleigh had seen Lelouch in the field of battle, watching the slaughter and glorying in it. He had seen the real Lelouch that his sister had never seen. If it came to it, Lelouch would sell her off to the highest bidder.

And that had been the true reason for his distance from her, that fear of losing her when he had started to care. It had been the reason that he hadn't allowed himself to care. But now he was paying for it, because he cared now.

"Your sister, my lord, has been staying out of my sight. I'm afraid that I couldn't carry out the task that I assigned myself."

"Out of your sight?"

"That Eleven." Raleigh hissed out the word, looking up at the emperor. "She isn't seen without him. I fear that they even inhabit the same bedroom."

"Is that so, Knight of Five?" It was surprisingly satisfactory to see Lelouch raise his eyebrows in surprise, the emperor turning away the next moment. "Well then, I might have to check up on my dear sister. Where can I find her?"

"At the opening of the Special Administrative Zone. She's meeting with the leaders of the resistance first. And the Eleven is with her."

Lelouch eyes narrowed, the emperor nodding and striding to the door, Raleigh hesitating a moment. If Lelouch was going to talk to Euphemia, then everything might be solved. She would get over whatever strange thoughts were clouding her mind and return to her senses. But there was no guarantee. And the emperor shouldn't be allowed to wander the city by himself.

Raleigh quickly walked forward. "My Lord, allow me to come with you."

"Sir Raleigh?"

"These are the same terrorists that have been trying to kill you since you stepped foot in this God forsaken country. It is my duty as a Knight of the Round to protect you." Raleigh averted his gaze, struggling to keep his expression neutral. "Even with the Knight of Seven there we would be outnumbered. The two of us could probably hold long enough for you and the princess to get away."

He felt Lelouch's gaze lingering on him, Raleigh staring to get uncomfortable under the scrutiny when Lelouch spoke. "Very well. Take the long way and bring your Knightmare."

"Shouldn't I pilot the Gawain?"

"No, it's completely destroyed or so Lloyd says." Raleigh looked up to catch a smile on Lelouch's face, smirking to himself and looking down. "I'll follow with the Shinkiro."

Raleigh bowed again, waiting for Lelouch to leave before straightening. He could seem to push the smile off his face. This was his chance to save Euphemia from herself. If she continued on this path she would betray the empire and Lelouch would have no choice but to kill her. Raleigh winced at the thought. If Euphemia became a danger to the empire then they would have no choice and, as Knight of the Round, it was his duty to protect the emperor from harm.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But he knew Euphemia, she only pretended to be naïve to encourage people to trust her, she was smarter than anyone gave her credit for. If she really focused, she could even begin to give Lelouch trouble. Raleigh was counting on that quality now, that Euphemia would realize that she had gotten in over her head without any support for her and would retreat to rethink her decision. Hopefully just seeing that her brother had come in with Knightmares would be enough to convince her not to be stubborn about this.

Still, there was a chance that Euphemia would cling to this idea to keep the Eleven with her. Raleigh frowned and rubbed his chin, walking out of the Knights of the Round's common room as he thought. It would be easy to find out the name of the captain of the squad of soldiers that Euphemia brought along to protect the Elevens that were coming to the opening ceremony and even easier to contact him on his way over. The surprise would give Lelouch the edge that they needed and they could destroy the JLF completely.

* * *

Cornelia inched forward, carefully parting the brush and staring out at the stadium that loomed in the distance. She sighed and shifted so that she could crouch comfortably. From here, she could see the entrance to the stadium and the road up to it, but nothing closer. The latter would be Katase's job, him and the group of seven men that he had brought along with him. Normally, she would criticize him for his confidence, but Katase had placed reinforcements around the area, just out of sight. No Knightmares though, which was where she came in.

She glanced back as the bushes rustled, watching as the Guren's pilot came to crouch by her, watching as the young woman took in the surrounding area with a scowl. The young woman had approached her only yesterday and given her full support to Cornelia's plan, her support and the support of a large number of Elevens who were tired of the JLF's failures. And, just like that, Cornelia had a squad of Knightmares under her control again. Just in time too.

She had spent much of the night before speaking with Schneizel, going over their plan to take the Tokyo Settlement now that Lelouch was gone. Lelouch leaving the country had been a surprising twist, but one that worked in their favor. It would take longer for him to race back to help his sisters, and Cornelia would take the chance to snatch Euphy and Nunnally away. Finding a safe place for them would have to come later. But they would have the capital and two bargaining chips, although Cornelia hated to think of her sisters like that.

It didn't matter though, they would have Lelouch just where they wanted him. They could capture him and force him from the throne or kill him right there. Cornelia was sure that Schneizel would want them to capture Lelouch, he thought that a public execution would be best. But he had never faced Lelouch in battle, her little brother could be hard to pin down. She would kill him if she could.

"I don't like the look of that." The young woman gestured to the row of Britannian soldiers by the road. "Why are they there?"

"Protection for the people. They'll have orders not to shoot." Cornelia narrowed her eyes, watching the Britannian soldiers patrol. They would have orders, but that didn't mean that they would follow them. If they felt threatened in any way, they would open fire, which would cause a problem for Euphy.

Cornelia drummed her fingers against her knee, stopping herself a moment later as she curled her hand into a fist. "Are the others ready?"

The young woman nodded. "A few are still making adjustments to their Knightmares, but it's more of a last minute thing. We'll be ready at the signal."

"Good. And the float systems."

"Not functional." Cornelia tried to hide her wince at that, waiting for the young woman to go on. "None of them are syncing right, or they just don't work in the first place."

"Fine. Land troops will work well enough." Cornelia frowned and stared at the group of soldiers waiting outside the stadium. "Half of our Knightmares will start heading for the Tokyo Settlement."

"And what about energy fillers?"

"If we can take one hangar, we'll be fine." Cornelia glanced towards the city looming in the distance.

Euphy had chosen a good spot for her masterpiece, keeping the area designated close to the Tokyo Settlement so that the Elevens wouldn't feel excluded but far enough away to keep the Britannian nobles happy. Still, it was enough of a distance that their Knightmare Frames would be running low on energy by the time they reached the city if they encountered heavy resistance. But there was a slim chance of that, especially with Lelouch and the majority of the Knights of the Round gone.

Cornelia nodded and rocked back onto her heels, looking towards the end of the road that led to the stadium. General Katase and his escort would be showing up any minute now to start their negotiations. For the sake of her temporary Eleven allies, Cornelia wouldn't force them to attack if everything went right, they wouldn't need the plan for the assault on the city.

She narrowed her eyes as she saw the car pull up, ready to inch forward again to gain a better position when the bushes rustled again. Cornelia turned around as an Eleven stuck in his head into the brush, glancing at her before looking at the young woman. "Kallen, we've got a problem."

"Problem?" The young woman turned around, Cornelia settling back down again.

The man nodded. "Inoue was the first to catch it, a Knightmare Frame coming in fast."

"What?" Kallen darted out of the bushes, Cornelia crawling after her, straightening up only when they were back in the cover of the forest. She spared a moment to brush off her clothes before walking after Kallen and the man, the two of them rushing over to the nearest Knightmare and clambering up it. Cornelia remained on the ground, looking up as the woman in the pilot's seat of the Knightmare began to speak, pointing to one of the screens in the cockpit.

"There." Cornelia saw the woman's arm move as she traced the path of the Knightmare. "I don't recognize the ID and it's moving too fast for it to be on the ground."

"A float system?"

Cornelia frowned, crossing her arms across her chest before tipping her head back. "What the ID?"

The three Elevens looked down at her in shock before Kallen cleared her throat, reading off the number. "KRAG5"

She stared at the ground, trying to remember what Knightmare had always shown up with that ID, cursing a moment later as she realized who it was. All Knights of the Round had the designation KR and their number in their Knightmare's ID. The rest was just the name of the Knightmare that they piloted, unimportant in the end. "Knight of Five."

"What?" Cornelia glared impatiently at Kallen as she spoke, the Eleven huffing and beginning to scramble down the Knightmare Frame. "But I thought that the only one who stayed behind was the Knight of Seven."

"Apparently not." She narrowed her eyes and turned back to the bushes, nearly running as she went back to her observation post. Kallen followed her in, crouching by her side again and scanning the sky. Cornelia had to reach out and pull her arm down when she spotted the Knightmare, staring at the white and red Knightmare Frame. "The Agravain. It really is the Knight of Five."

"But what is he doing here? Why would he stay behind?"

Cornelia shrugged. Sir Raleigh had been a new knight when Lelouch had murdered their father, she hadn't gotten the chance to know him, nor had Guilford or the rest of the Glaston Knights known him. The only explanation that she could think of was that he was here as a guard, and there was only one person that he could be guarding for.

Her string of curses was muffled by the sound of a shout, Cornelia looking up as the group of JLF representatives paused, watching the Agravain land in the stadium. They held a hurried talk for a few moments before setting off at a faster pace, Cornelia watching as a few of the men obviously reached for guns only to come up empty.

She swallowed and shifted in place again. This wasn't good. The leaders were walking into an obvious trap to demand the meaning of the display. And to do that, they would have to walk right past a group of Britannian soldiers while they were being obviously belligerent. With all of this, there was no way that Euphy's Special Administrative Zone would work. It was time for Plan B.

Cornelia sat back, Kallen following her. The Eleven kept peeking out through the bushes, Cornelia ignoring her twitch for the moment. After being hunted down by Lelouch for so long, she was glad that her allies had even considered working with her. She cleared her throat to get Kallen's attention, waiting until the other had glanced at her before beginning to speak. "Have the smaller Knightmares circle around and try to get as close to the stadium as possible. If something happens, they'll be forming the guard for the JLF representatives. The larger Knightmares will remain here."

"And if something happens?"

"Once the representatives are safe then we take care of the Knights of Five and Seven. Four of us will focus on taking them down while the others begin to move on Tokyo. We can't be sure that the emperor is not there, but it's very possible that he hasn't been back long. In the mean time, the plan continues as usual."

"And the Special Administrative Zone fails?"

"And it fails." Cornelia nodded in agreement. "Have that squad of small Knightmares be sure to get Euphemia out of there alive as well. The Zone may fail, but she'll be our ally in this."

"The Emperor will do anything to get her back."

Cornelia hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes he will, which puts us in a position to give demands again. And this time, we'll make the right ones."

Kallen nodded and went to deliver the orders, the two of them freezing at the sound of gunshots from the road. Cornelia turned, her eyes widening as she watched the Britannian soldiers gun down the representatives, coming back to herself a moment later and shoving Kallen in the direction of the Knightmares. "Give the orders. Go!"

The young woman rushed out of the bushes, Cornelia standing up and following her, not bothering to brush the dirt off herself now this time. She dodged through the rushing people, grabbing the tow line to her Burai. She scanned the crowd of people, glancing to the closest Knightmares to her, gesturing to get the pilots' attention. "You two, you're with me and Kallen. We'll be taking down the Knights of the Round."

The two pilots stared at her before nodding, Cornelia dropping into the seat and letting the cockpit slide forward. She hastily typed in the code to activate the Knightmare, smiling as the screens lit up. From there, it was easy to settle into her detached frame of mind, the same calm frame of mind that she entered every time she was approaching battle. In a moment, the adrenalin would kick in and she would forget about all of her fears, things would become simple again.

She gripped the joysticks more tightly, staring at the screen as the Knightmares in front of her moved. She waited a moment longer before sending the Burai darting forward, weaving through the lines and trying to work her way to the outside, she wanted to be ready when the first Knight of the Round took to the air and some part of her really wanted to go after the Knight of Seven. There was a valid strategic reason to take him down, but Cornelia wanted to pull that Eleven out of the place of honor that he had, even it was just to remind herself that Britannia was still strong.

Cornelia found herself grinning as she approached the stadium. They had to just stay there for a moment more and then she would be ready to take them on.

She shifted forward, flicking on the radio with one hand. Immediately the sounds of the squad speaking with each other came on, Cornelia relaxing a fraction as she kept track of her troop with the sound of their voices. And, for a moment, all was calm.

And then… "What's going on?"

Cornelia looked up from her preparations at the surprised shout, barely listening to the further exclamations of shock that came over the radio. She stared at the screen, focusing on the Knightmare Frame code that had appeared, her mouth dropping open in shock.

* * *

Lelouch shook his head, hiding in the darkness of one of the archways. Of course Raleigh would decide to make an entrance, he was too focused on protecting Euphemia than realizing the situation. Then again, Raleigh had never been adapt at reading the situation, but his status in the ranks of the nobles didn't allow Lelouch to move him below Knight of Five. There had been enough of an uproar when he had allowed Gino Weinberg had become the Knight of Three. Still, he should at least have paid attention to the line of dots that denoted that the JLF had brought backup.

It was the reason that Lelouch had taken the old subway tunnels out to this point and then circled around from there. It was better to be cautious here than to disturb anything.

At this point, he wasn't sure if he wanted the Special Administrative Zone to succeed or not. With his plans in place, it was guaranteed not to crumble into obscurity, but not become the big success that Euphemia hoped it would become. He could deal with it just existing, but Lelouch wasn't sure what the full effects of the Special Administrative Zone would be. It would probably be best to wait for it to have effect before passing judgment, but even that might take too long.

Lelouch glanced up as Raleigh began to steer his Knightmare into the stadium, lowering his gaze to watching as Euphemia and Suzaku hurried out from the clubhouse to stare at the Knightmare. He sighed and covered his eyes with his hand. Maybe taking Raleigh with him had been a mistake, but he had no choice after he had found the man in the Round's common room. Lelouch had been taking a quick look through the building in search of Euphemia, sure that she had already left and half hoping that he would meet Suzaku.

His gaze lingered on the knight, Lelouch shifting uncomfortably at the feeling of relief at the sight of Suzaku. He had only been gone for six days, but that had been enough for just a glimpse to make that annoying content smile cross his face. Lelouch turned his head away and cleared his throat, struggling to get control of himself.

He didn't like Suzaku, he just lusted after him, there was a difference. Or he had lusted after Suzaku.

Lelouch crossed his arms and ducked his head, closing his eyes. The fact of the matter was he enjoyed Suzaku's company, beyond the fact that he was a competent guard and one that wasn't going to use him to further his station. Suzaku was the closest thing he had from a friend since Daiki, the closest person to him since Nunnally. He frowned, pressing his back against the wall. So that left Suzaku the closest person to him that wasn't part of his family.

And the fact that he had missed him, actively missed him to the point of waking up in the middle of the night and checking to see if Suzaku was asleep on his couch only to realize that he was in his room in the palace at Pendragon. He had been a bit distressed, not moping, through his days because he had missed his sisters and Suzaku.

He groaned and reached up to rub his forehead, opening his eyes and looking back out at the stadium. Raleigh was rushing over to hug Euphemia, Lelouch smiling fondly at the two of them. He froze when Suzaku turned around and looked right at him. For a moment, he was hoping that Suzaku hadn't seen him, it would be easier to sneak back to Pendragon again if Suzaku hadn't seen him. Then again, he could always take Suzaku back with him. Raleigh could watch Euphemia and he could have Suzaku.

Lelouch felt his stomach flip as Suzaku smiled at him, taking a step in his direction before stopping. He wasn't supposed to be here, he wasn't supposed to be noticed by then. But it was too late because he was walking forward again, watching as Suzaku walked to meet him, his eyes widening as Suzaku bowed to him. "Your majesty."

"Lelouch!" He looked up from Suzaku as Euphemia turned to look at him. She rushed over to throw her arms around him in a hug, pulling back quickly. He caught a flash of disappointment and sadness before she smiled again. "I thought you were in Pendragon."

"I was. But I found I missed my dear sisters too much to remain for long."

Euphemia actually laughed at that. "But what about your business?"

"It can wait for a day." He gave her a crooked smile, aware that Suzaku was standing up behind him. He slipped his hands into his pockets, tipping his head to the side. "And is there anything wrong with coming to see your triumph."

"B-but…" She blushed and looked away. "I thought that you disapproved."

"That doesn't mean that I can't watch, from the sidelines of course. Officially, I'm in Britannia." Lelouch chuckled and turned to look at Suzaku, still addressing Euphemia. "I won't do anything to get in your way, Euphy. I trusted you enough to make you viceroy, didn't I?"

"Yes."

Lelouch contented himself with that answer, taking a step closer to Suzaku and turning around, bringing the knight into the guard position. He cursed his decision to allow Raleigh along again, he couldn't do anything to Suzaku now. The urge to pull Suzaku close and just cling was rising up again, Lelouch clenching his fists to keep himself from trembling. He had had another one of those moments the first night he was back in Pendragon, a combination of anxiety from having to leave Nunnally behind and excitement that he was finally moving his plans forward, the two combining until he was forced to cling to a pillow to try and keep himself grounded. But the urge to cling to Suzaku now wasn't the same, it hadn't been the same for a while; Lelouch just didn't want to acknowledge the change for too long.

Euphemia gave him a shy glance before looking back at the Knightmare Frame that was still looming over them. "The JLF representatives will be here any minute, you'd better hide. I'll keep Raleigh and Suzaku with me. But we're going to have to remove the Knightmare."

"What?" The Knight of Five stared at her in shock. "My lady, making a deal with these terrorists will do nothing."

"It's better than the endless fighting. Suzaku." She turned and walked back towards the stage that was set up at one end of the stadium, Suzaku following after a moment of hesitation.

Lelouch fought back a shiver as Suzaku purposefully brushed against him, trying not to smile. When this was all over, he was dragging Suzaku back to Pendragon with him. Euphemia wouldn't need him around anymore and Suzaku would just be at loose ends, and probably in danger with Sir Raleigh around.

He frowned and turned to walk back to his hiding place, climbing the steps into the stands. In that same train of thought, perhaps it would be better to keep Raleigh with him. The JLF probably wanted their knight around as a symbol to the Japanese people of what they could do. As much as it annoyed him to leave Suzaku behind, it was a good strategy, one that he would have used, albeit much earlier in the game. Although, the JLF had displayed a stunning ability to delay everything until almost too late. It amazed him that the Japanese people still believed in them, especially after all of their failures. It would have been better if they had thrown their support behind one of the smaller groups, then they could have actually proven difficult to defeat. Fighting a war on two fronts was something that he had shown consistently that he loathed.

Lelouch shrugged, pausing at the entrance that he was standing at, scanning for somewhere to hide. If all else failed, he could retreat to the Shinkiro. Or, Lelouch turned, eyeing the royal box. The JLF representatives would be with Euphemia on the stage, so it would be easy to hide in one of the private boxes, or in the control room for the sound. He smiled to himself, turning to walk along the line of seats, freezing when at the sound of gunshots.

He turned to look back towards the stadium, watching as Euphemia fumbled for a radio that she had at her hip, Suzaku looking worriedly at her. Lelouch shook his head and walked quickly around to where there was an entrance that would look out onto the street that led to the stadium. He slunk through the shadows, peeking out and staring at the road. His mouth fell open as he saw the Britannian soldiers stationed there rolling over the bodies of the dead JLF representatives, one soldier pausing long enough to shoot a man through the head again before taking a step away.

Lelouch cursed and backed away, his mind racing. There were two explanations for what had just happened. Either the soldiers had acted on their own, which was likely since they were hardly just going to allow the Japanese to win, or they had acted on orders. Then came the question of who had issued the orders, because he had left nothing behind that would show that he wanted this, other than his general disdain, but that wasn't enough for them to take that as an order. There had to be someone in the JLF itself, like Cornelia, who would order this. But even this didn't make sense. The Japanese wouldn't trust her enough to lead their resistance movement, just plan out battles.

He jogged down the stairs and into the stadium proper, Euphemia running up to him with a frightened look on her face. "The soldiers shot them."

"I saw."

"I didn't order this."

"I know." Lelouch reached out to touch her shoulder. "I didn't either."

"Then who?"

"I don't know." Lelouch took a deep breath, looking around the stadium before his gaze landed on Suzaku. His hand tightened on Euphemia's shoulder before he took a deep breath. "But we'll have time to worry about that later."

What they had to be worrying about right now was how the remaining JLF forces would react. It would be stupid to just assume that the JLF representatives had come without backup. The first reaction in any situation would be disbelief and then anger, the direct attack on them would be coming soon. Only then would they turn back to their plan, which was probably to turn against the Tokyo Settlement, sure that he was gone and too far away to properly command his troops. In the grand scheme of things, the stadium was something that they could lose, but they had to hold Tokyo if they wanted to remain in power and be able to salvage something from this situation.

Lelouch let go of Euphemia's shoulder, stepping away from her and turning to look back at Suzaku. "I'll take Euphy in the Shinkiro. You two will act as the rear guard."

"Yes, your majesty." The two knights jogged away, Lelouch watching to make sure that they had a good lead to their Knightmares before turning to head back to where he had hidden the Shinkiro, reaching out to grab Euphy's arm, only to have her pull away from him.

When he turned around to demand an explanation, she just glared at him. "Lelouch, what are you planning?"

"Retreat for now."

"And how will that help the truce?"

"The truce is crumbling, Euphy." Lelouch shook his head when she crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't order the soldiers to open fire and I'm not waiting around to wait for the JLF to come in here and find us both. There's a chance that we can salvage this if we go back."

"No, you have to leave." Lelouch stared at her, Euphemia taking another step backwards. "If they find me here alone, then they won't suspect you and I can try to fix this situation."

"Euphy…"

"Lelouch, this is the only way that they'll trust me. I need this support if you want your plan to work!"

"This isn't about my plan."

"Everything is, Lelouch. It's more important than your happiness and more important than Nunnally's feelings." Lelouch flinched at that, Euphemia nodding slowly. "I understand why you're doing this Lelouch and why it's so important to you. This is my way of making sure that everything you've done isn't wasted."

Lelouch stared at her, narrowing his eyes a moment later before reaching out for her, Euphemia stepping away again. "I can get around this, Euphy. I'm not risking you for this."

"Lelouch." She went to push him away, Lelouch taking a step back to avoid her motion. "Stop it. I'm old enough to make my own choices and this is my choice. I want to stop the war without the loss of any more lives."

He glared at her, about to chastise her for talking back when he heard the shouting from outside. Lelouch turned around, staring at the outer edge of the stadium. That was either the soldiers or the JLF members ready to storm in. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the walls before turning back to Euphemia.

Lelouch relaxed a fraction as he saw that Raleigh was moving his Knightmare, Suzaku already positioning the Lancelot for flight. Lelouch gestured toward the front of the stadium, not sure if Suzaku saw him. He trusted the knight to at least draw the attention of the other Knightmares away. That would give him the cover he needed to run back to the Shinkiro. Raleigh could take the offensive from there.

He jumped as one of the Lancelot's Slash Harkens was released, watching the weapon slam into the top of the stadium before Suzaku sent the Lancelot forward, the Knightmare using the momentum from reeling the Slash Harken back in to take to the air. Lelouch smiled and turned back to Euphemia, watching in surprise as Raleigh herded her into one of the hands of the Agravain.

"I'll escort her to the city, your highness."

Lelouch shook his head, glancing up where the Lancelot was waiting. "The Knight of Seven will need your help. The Shinkiro has better defense capabilities. But your eagerness is duly noted."

"Lelouch, would you just listen to me?" Euphemia was leaning against one of the fingers of the Knightmare. "I've worked too hard to have this collapse. If I run, it'll look like I planned this, I'd be allying myself with you. That can't happen, Lelouch."

"Euphemia…"

She turned to glare up at Sir Raleigh, Lelouch taking a step forward. If Raleigh would lower the Agravain's hand, then he could drag Euphemia back to the Shinkiro. He would take the blame for arranging this and bring the nobles' support more firmly to his side. It would be a bit too much of a fall when he did away with the aristocracy, but it would still work. Euphemia would be saved from the fallout and she could try again if she desired. She could still bring the Japanese people over to her side with the legislation that they had ready. The Special Administrative Zone would have been a failure anyway, but it was the fact that Euphemia had been willing to extend this privilege that mattered.

"Sir Raleigh, put me down immediately."

"But the emperor said-"

"I have already told my brother what I intend to do. I don't care if it is treason, it's the right thing to do."

Lelouch stepped forward at that, expecting Raleigh to just lower Euphemia to the ground. Then he could grab her and make a show of shouting at her as he led her away. When they were safe he could explain why he had pulled her away, that there were more reasons than just him preserving his image as a horrible tyrant. If he had the chance to explain, then maybe she would see that he was thinking beyond his plan. This was about not losing what little family he had left.

The hand that he had held out for her dropped back to his side as the Knightmare shifted, Lelouch's mouth dropping open in shock as Raleigh clenched the Agravain's fist over Euphemia's legs. His sister screamed, the sound cut off a moment later as the Agravain's other hand was wrapped around her torso. And then Raleigh pulled…

Euphemia's scream of pain was abruptly cut off as she was torn in half, Lelouch praying that she was dead, not just unconscious. But there was too much blood for her to just be unconscious, her blood falling onto the ground and some of it raining on him as Raleigh pulled the Knightmare up to its full height, ripping Euphemia's limbs off before tossing the segments to the ground, Lelouch swaying in place as he watched the remains of his sister fall to the ground.

"Euphy!" He wasn't aware that he had shouted for her, Lelouch taking a shaky step forward before falling to his knees, panting for breath.

This couldn't be happening, it was just another one of his horrible dreams. He would wake up and reach for Suzaku and the knight would be there. He had to be there, a pillow wouldn't help this time. It had to be just another dream. But there was too much blood.

Lelouch snapped back to the present as he heard something land beside him, turning to watch as the Lancelot raised an arm in front of him. He stared at the green shield before looking up towards the cockpit, the Knightmare crouching low over him. "Your majesty?"

"He killed her." Lelouch wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly aware of the blood splattered on him. "He killed Euphy!" He paused for a moment, taking quick breaths through his nose to stop himself from throwing up. "Kill him!"

There was no response from Suzaku, just the sound of the Lancelot's Landspinners against the lawn. He looked up, watching as Suzaku charged the Knight of Five.

The initial circling that he was so used to seeing in duels between knights never happened, Suzaku going straight to the offensive. One Slash Harken was fired, Raleigh having to dodge around it, which brought him in line for the next Slash Harken, the Lancelot using that to draw close before it ripped off the arm of the Agravain. Suzaku moved away before Raleigh could reach him, nimbly outmaneuvering the larger Knightmare.

Lelouch turned away from the dueling knights, glancing back over at the remains of his sister. He shuddered, losing the control that he had clung to in the first moments of her death. He leaned to the side and vomited, coughing as it burned his throat. Lelouch spat on the ground and shifted away, feeling himself begin to shiver again. He coughed to clear his throat, trying to stand up only to have his legs give out on him, Lelouch tearing his gaze from the macabre image of his sister torn to pieces to look up at the Knightmares.

Both of the Agravain's arms had been torn off, the Lancelot still remaining neatly out of its reach while keeping the Knightmare far away from Lelouch. A leg was the next to go, the MVS sword cutting neatly through the metal. The Lancelot followed the stroke, slamming into the Agravain and sending the Knightmare Frame to the ground. The ejection system never had a chance to activate, one Slash Harken slamming into the back of the cockpit, the MVS sword stabbed down into the cockpit directly where the pilot would be.

Lelouch thought he heard a scream, ignoring it in the next minute for ducking his head and trying to ignore the way his stomach heaved. He didn't care about what was happening to Raleigh, the man deserved it. In fact, he wanted to be able to bring the Knight of Five to life again just to have the satisfaction of watching Suzaku kill him again, perhaps publically this time. Everyone had to know that Raleigh was a traitor to his country. And wouldn't that have just rattled him if Raleigh had been alive?

He found himself laughing at that thought, Lelouch leaning forward and bracing himself on one hand as his body shook. Raleigh had been known for his loyalty to Britannia, even choosing that loyalty over members of his family at times. The nobles had both feared him and held him up as a shinning example of a perfect citizen. And Raleigh had been the one to kill Princess Euphemia.

Lelouch wasn't sure when his crazed laughter had turned into sobs, falling forward until he had to catch himself with his other hand, staring at the ground as he shook. He couldn't tell what he was doing anymore, sometimes managing to stop sobbing only to dissolve into laughter again, starting the whole cycle over. And he was scared that this would be the moment where he finally snapped, finally tumbled over the edge into insanity.

A pair of arms wrapped around him, Lelouch turning to knock them away, only to find himself staring up at Suzaku. He managed to keep himself calm for the moment it took for him to recognize his knight before he threw his arms around Suzaku's neck. He pressed close to the knight as he trembled, eventually having to tuck his head under Suzaku's chin, curling in on himself as he tried to calm down.

"S-Suzaku?"

"He's dead, Lelouch. I made sure of it."

Lelouch nodded slowly, pressing closer to Suzaku. "He killed Euphy."

"I know." He felt a slight pressure on the top of his head from where Suzaku rested his chin. Lelouch tried to wiggle closer, annoyed when he couldn't. He only accepted Suzaku's arms around him then because it made it feel like he was closer to Suzaku. He was surrounded and protected, and it felt nice. Lelouch slumped against Suzaku, still trembling even as he tried to calm down, hating these moments where his mind failed him.

Suzaku gently stroked his back, Lelouch leaning into the touch and closing his eyes. He just had to focus on Suzaku, center himself back on the real world instead of letting himself get caught up in thoughts again.

He gave a shaky sigh and pulled away from Suzaku, a little relieved that the knight didn't release him completely. He wasn't completely recovered from the shock, but there were things that required his attention, and he could think clearly enough to take care of them now. Lelouch took another deep breath, reaching back to pull Suzaku's hands away from his back. "They'll be heading for Tokyo."

Suzaku sat up, staring at him in confusion. "L-Lelouch?"

"Once the JLF see that the soldiers have been killed, they'll head for Tokyo to avenge themselves." He pushed away from Suzaku and stood up, feeling his legs wobble a bit before he caught himself. Lelouch swallowed, turning to look over his shoulder, staring at Euphemia's remains before clamping a hand over his mouth. He shut his eyes, focusing on his breathing until he felt the nausea go away. Only then did he take his hand away, stepping forward gingerly. "The city will have to be defended."

"Lelouch-"

"Send the order to the officers, their emperor commands them to ready the defenses. We'll be returning soon enough." He forced his shoulders back, straightening up. "Don't tell them about Euphy, they'll be demoralized."

"Lelouch…"

"You and I will be leading. The Shinkiro has enough of a defensive capability that I could hold my own. And it'll boost their morale; they're more willing to fight for the emperor and one of the Knights of the Round."

He froze as Suzaku grabbed onto his shoulder, pulling him back. Lelouch struggled against the hold, reaching down to try and pry Suzaku's arms off of him. When the knight didn't let go Lelouch snarled, clawing as Suzaku's hands before finally managing to pull away. Suzaku was immediately reaching for him again, only managing to get a few fingers on Lelouch's shoulder before Lelouch moved away. "Suzaku!"

"Lelouch, your sister just died!"

He tensed, glancing back at where Euphemia was scattered, swallowing back nausea. He didn't realize that he was swaying in place until Suzaku wrapped an arm around his waist. Lelouch reached down to pull the arm off of him, turning around to glare at Suzaku. "I know! I know that, Suzaku! But I can't think about it! I can't think about it or…"

He trailed off, staring at the strewn limbs again, beginning to shake again. Lelouch abruptly turned away, feeling Suzaku wraps his arms around him again, and allowing this time. He leaned back into the knight for a moment, taking deep breaths before pulling away from Suzaku, the knight allowing him this time. "Suzaku, I gave you orders."

"Yes, your majesty."

He looked back over his shoulder for a split second, enough to confirm that Suzaku was walking back to the Lancelot. Lelouch smiled to himself, pushing his hair away from his forehead before continuing to walk shakily towards the exit that would lead him to where he had hidden the Shinkiro. He would worry about how to get Euphemia back after the battle, he had to sort out his priorities.

* * *

"Suzaku?"

He jumped at the voice that came through the incom, surprised at the sound of someone talking to him other than Lelouch. He smiled to himself and ran a hand over his face, wiping off the sweat that had gathered there. "Miss. Cecile."

"Oh good. I was worried. They're mobilizing the troops."

"I know. I ordered it."

"S-Suzaku?"

"Emperor's orders." He let out a nervous laugh, staring at the map of Tokyo that was displayed on the screens. "I am nothing if not loyal."

It hurt to think that she would doubt him. But, then again, this Cecile didn't know him. Suzaku reached up to rub his forehead, staring anxiously at the screen. "I wouldn't do anything to harm him."

"I know, Suzaku."

"Then why bother asking?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment. "If the emperor was hurt then you wouldn't be safe anymore." Suzaku's hand slid from where he had wrapped it around the joystick, Suzaku wincing as it knocked against a corner of the panel in front of him. "There are plenty of people who wouldn't mind seeing you dead."

"Because I'm an upstart Eleven?" Cecile muttered something too low for Suzaku to catch, the confirmation making him laugh. "Don't worry, Miss. Cecile, I can take care of myself."

"Suzaku, you're only a teenager."

"The emperor is as old as I am, and this is war, Miss. Cecile. I don't have much of a choice." He tried to smile, even though he knew that she couldn't see him. "This is important to me."

"I know. But it's starting to look bad." Suzaku glanced down at his grid, watching as more enemy dots appeared, swallowing. "It looks like the whole of Area 11 is coming to Tokyo."

"It's not all of them, just the nearest cities." Saying that was supposed to make him feel better, but it didn't, Suzaku just staring at the dots and feeling his hands tremble. He would have to live through this and then deal with all the fall out when the world found out that Princess Euphemia was dead. He was sure that some of the blame would be turned to him, especially since he was the one who had remained behind with her in Area 11 and he had been in every announcement that she had made. No one would believe that the Knight of Five had been the real murderer. His hands tightened on the joysticks. "I'll be fine."

"But…Alright, Suzaku. Just be careful, and get the Lancelot back in one piece."

He managed a laugh. "We wouldn't want to disappoint Lloyd."

"Of course not." The line went silent, Suzaku taking a deep breath and slumping forward. When he let his breath out, it sounded more like a sob, feeling himself shake. This was not the time to be doubting himself. He had managed to get this far on his skills alone, as shaky as they were. It was the fact that he was good and honest that made Lelouch keep him close, and that had gotten him the position in the Knights of the Round. Those skills would be enough to keep him safe this time, or so he hoped.

Suzaku shook his hair out of his eyes, looking around from where he was stationed on the limits of the Tokyo Settlement, staring at the Knightmare next to him. The Shinkiro looked imposing in the midday sun, the two of them standing alone in front of the Britannian forces arrayed behind them.

They had made it just ahead of the initial attack, their forces already falling into position. But then the charge had just stopped, Lelouch deciding to use the time that they had given to work out a plan of attack and they had had precious little time to do that as well. Now the JLF forces were gathering again, their numbers boosted by the civilians from the surrounding cities. The JLF was finally showing the power that they possessed.

"Suzaku." He looked up at the sound of Lelouch's voice, hesitating to respond until realizing that they were speaking on a private channel.

"Lelouch?"

"Everything is ready."

"And Euphemia?"

Suzaku immediately felt bad for brining her up, Lelouch looked away from him. "A team has orders to return her home as soon as the battle starts. We'll broadcast the lowering of the casket, but not the funeral. She deserves a quiet funeral."

"Yes, she does." Suzaku swallowed. "Have you told Nunnally?"

"Not yet. I was too busy getting her somewhere safe, Jeremiah is with her." Lelouch paused, Suzaku looking up to meet his gaze. Lelouch still looked slightly surprised with everything that was happening, still trembling intermittently. Lelouch looked away quickly. "She'll be safe until we get back."

"Good." He watched as Lelouch nodded, very worried about the emperor. Lelouch was going through the motions without understanding what he was doing. It was very likely that he was going to get himself killed because he was still in shock. Suzaku shook his head, attempting to smile at Lelouch. "I'll stay by your side, your highness."

That just got a nod from Lelouch before the communication was shut off. Suzaku nodded to himself and went back to staring at the view of the world through the Lancelot's screens. He hunched his shoulders, closing his eyes.

The first attack on the Tokyo Settlement, one of the most critical battles during the War of Ascension, and he couldn't count on his knowledge of the battle. So far, it looked right, but he wasn't sure that Princess Euphemia had died here. He wasn't even sure where Princess Euphemia had been in his future. He had changed it enough to make her important, to make her a reason for the Japanese to rise up against Lelouch. But they had one advantage, the JLF leaders were dead, a boon since he didn't think that Lelouch could have fought back successfully against the full strength of the JLF. Then he would have been next to useless.

He leaned forward as the enemy forces began to move, frowning as he watched one of the Knightmares break into the lead. "They're moving."

Suzaku ignored the orders that were shouted out as the commanders moved their troops into place, watching the Shinkiro out of the corner of his eye. Despite what Lelouch said, he would stay close. He hadn't been given orders to the contrary, in fact it was his job to protect Lelouch with all the other Knights of the Round out of the country.

The front line of Knightmares surged forward, Suzaku steering the Lancelot closer to the Shinkiro as Lelouch took off. He gritted his teeth, glancing around for something to use to launch the Lancelot into the air. He had to twist the Knightmare through a small gap in the army as squads moved forward, firing a Slash Harken into the ground and using that force to send him into the air.

He fumbled at the controls, activating the float system and following Lelouch. Suzaku was pleasantly surprised to find that the emperor was hanging back. It made his job somewhat easier if Lelouch was content to sit back and lead his army from there. Suzaku shifted in his seat, reaching out to flick through the channels as he watched the battle.

It was odd and strangely disturbing to see the familiar drawing that he had seen in his history texts being used, now multicolored instead of the familiar red of the JLF and the blue of the Britannians. He could see where they were going and he could guess where they would end up, courtesy of listening to many discussions between Rivalz and other boys, the ones that actually liked to talk about war like it was some kind of game.

Suzaku shook his head, refocusing on the patterns of the JLF and trying to remember the bits of conversation that he had allowed himself to overhear. The JLF were outnumbered and had fewer numbers that they had discussed in class, but they were following the same pattern. Still, that was bound to break. With smaller numbers, they would have to alter their plans, especially with Lelouch's forces holding the better ground. He narrowed his eyes as he stared down at the grid, coming up with nothing. This was more of Lelouch's territory than his.

"Suzaku, can you help?" He didn't jump as Lelouch spoke through the incom, another private channel. The emperor wouldn't ask for help, especially from him. "Any more of your amazing knowledge?"

"No. It's gone beyond me."

"Ah, so there goes my secret weapon and my amazing strategist."

"They weren't my best subjects, Lelouch." Suzaku managed a laugh. "They were always yours."

He tensed immediately after saying that, afraid that he had given away too much. He had been doing that all too much, first with Narita, then with the kisses and now with this. Suzaku licked his lips, waiting for the reply from Lelouch.

It was a long time in coming, the emperor probably stopping to relay orders to the others in battle below them. "Another one of those things I'm going to get explained to me?"

"Yes. Sorry, my lord."

"You have your reasons. And I will find them out eventually. Consider yourself lucky that I allow you this."

"Every day." Suzaku smirked. "Every day."

He relaxed a fraction more, turning his full attention back to the battle below them. It was enough that Lelouch was giving him that benefit of the doubt. And he was equally sure that, if Lelouch was pushed far enough, he would be forced to give up everything. Even that might not be enough to save him, or at least allow him his freedom. And then his entire plan would be messed up.

Suzaku jerked in his seat as he saw a group of Knightmares break off from the rest, frowning as he watched them begin to push trough the lines. How they managed to do that and not lose anyone baffled him for a moment until he realized that they were using the subway tunnels. Suzaku reached out trace the path that had taken. They had used the main attack force as a diversion, and the group was too small to do any harm to the main force, just five or six Knightmares. But they were heading into the city.

He folded his fingers back to his palm, his eyes widening as he realized what they were going for. The only reason they would use such a small force would be because they were hoping to go after something that would force Lelouch into submission, which meant the administration building and Nunnally. There weren't enough Knightmares to attack any of their main forces, but just enough to get past the guards that were left there.

Suzaku muttered a curse and turned the Lancelot back towards the administration building. He could probably move faster over ground and find a place to attack them from. But, with the way that the were moving, he was probably cutting it close.

"Suzaku!"

He registered the shout over the incom, ignoring it for the moment, waiting until the Lancelot was aimed for the right place. "They've passed us."

"They've what? Nunnally!"

He could hear the panic in Lelouch's voice, hating the way that he felt compelled to calm Lelouch down. "On it, your majesty."

Suzaku sent the Lancelot into a dive, turning off all communications. It was a stupid move, especially since it would take him a second longer to call for help. But, on the other hand, he didn't want Lelouch shouting at him the entire time.

He bit his lip, pulling the Knightmare Frame up a good distance before he would hit the ground, but not soon enough to avoid knocking against the leading Knightmare. Suzaku was tossed around the cockpit, trying his best to keep the Lancelot from falling over. He somehow managed to avoid wrecking the float system.

The Lancelot came to a stop, Suzaku splayed over the control panel, struggling to push himself back up. He glanced up in time to see the red Knightmare from their other battles lunging at him, the silver hand of the Knightmare reaching out for him. He shoved himself back into the seat, maneuvering out of the way. He saw a flare of light, the building to his right crumbling.

He took a deep breath, feeling his ribs protest the move. He was probably badly bruised from that landing, but at least he had managed to not damage the Lancelot. Suzaku gritted his teeth, reaching for his MVS swords, pulling it out of his sheath. He spun the Lancelot around, slicing through a leg on one of the Knightmares before turning to face the red Knightmare. His VARIS would have been the better weapon to bring into this fight, but he hadn't gotten the Lancelot equipped with either the VARIS rifle or the other MVS sword before going to the stadium. It had been a sign that he trusted the JLF to go into a situation like that, especially knowing that they would have brought backup. But he hadn't taken the time to go back to the A.S.E.E.C hangar to get his other weapons.

Suzaku glanced at the other Knightmares, swallowing before lunging forward, cutting through another limb. He wouldn't be able to actually drive the sword through one of the Knightmares, it would take too long. Suzaku spun the Lancelot around, taking a deep breath before just focusing on the battle.

It was almost too easy to slip into the almost trancelike state that he needed, Suzaku attributing it to the nearly endless tests that Lloyd had him run on the Lancelot. Suzaku just kept his eyes focused on the screens as he ducked one blow, lashing out with the arm that didn't hold the sword before spinning away. One Knightmare was down, but he didn't remember it falling. Another looked like it could keel over at any minute. That just left two more, not counting the red Knightmare, he was doing his best to avoid that one for now.

Suzaku was thrown forward again, turning the Lancelot slightly to see that he had been hit by the red Knightmare, swallowing and backing out of the circle that they were trying to form around him. Suzaku narrowed his eyes, managing to slice through another leg before the red Knightmare slammed into him, the MVS sword skittering over the ground. He let out his breath in a hiss, rubbing his thumbs over the buttons that would release the Slash Harkens, taking a deep breath. Now he was in trouble.

He was forced to retreat towards the subway tunnel, having to move sideways to keep the hole out of his blind spot. At least there were only two Knightmares, and he was hoping that they would lose interest long enough for him to knock the red one over. Then he could grab his sword again and disable it. Hopefully catching the ace of the JLF, as far as he could figure it at least, would cause their attack to stall out. A reversal of their own tactics, that's all Suzaku could hope for.

Another passing jolt send him against the side of the cockpit, his elbow knocking against the communication button. Suzaku muttered a curse, shaking out his arm before focusing on the two Knightmares again.

"Suzaku!" He winced as Lelouch shouted into his ear. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"Protecting your sister!" He turned and kicked out, wincing as the red Knightmare caught the Lancelot's foot. There was a short struggle before he was able to pull it away, Suzaku nearly taking a tumble into the subway. "They were going to get her so I acted."

"You idiot! You're outnumbered."

"There's only two that can fight now. And one of them is the ace. We can turn their plan back on them."

"That's not the point."

Suzaku grunted as he blocked another blow, activating the Blaze Luminous system. "What is the point then?"

"The point is that…" Lelouch trailed off for a second, Suzaku wondering if he had actually heard the tremble in Lelouch's voice. "Nunnally safe where she is now."

"Two Knightmares are still functional Lelouch." Suzaku kicked the other Knightmare, watching as it fell to the ground. The ejection system didn't activate, Suzaku watching it carefully as the pilot tried to roll it back upright. He turned his full attention to the red Knightmare, dropping the Lancelot into a crouch. "Nunnally isn't safe. And I'm not going to fail her, not like Euphemia."

There was a gasp from the other end of the line, Suzaku taking a deep breath. "I can't fail you again, Lelouch."

"It wasn't your fault."

The red Knightmare attacked again, Suzaku deflected it with the Blaze Luminous shield before ducking around the red Knightmare. He pushed the Lancelot at full speed across the space, scooping up the MVS sword before turning to face the red Knightmare again, breathing heavily. "I'm not failing again, Lelouch! I'm the only Knight of the Round here! And I can't let you die!"

"Suzaku?"

He brought the sword up to counter a blow, realizing his mistake a moment later when the red Knightmare wrapped the silver hand around the blade. It took a moment before the pilot activated the weapon in that hand, Suzaku watching in horror as the surface of the MVS bubble before it started to fragment. He cursed and dropped the sword, backing away and staring at the red Knightmare.

He was back to having no weapons aside from the Slash Harkens, and those would have to be his last resort, because the red Knightmare could pull him towards that arm. Suzaku swallowed and shifted, trying to think up another plan. He just had to keep Nunnally safe, and that would keep Lelouch alive and Tokyo in Britannian hands. And that's what needed to be done.

Suzaku gritted his teeth, ducking under another blow before landed on of his own. He would have to rely on speed here, keeping himself out of the way long enough for the red Knightmare to get itself trapped or hope that it would get recalled. That or the Britannian military would win the fight against the main force. He took a deep breath before charging back in again, grabbing a hold of the silver arm and forcing it back, smiling when it came loose. It wouldn't be enough to come off, but that section of the Knightmare would be slower to respond.

He backed the Lancelot away again, only to nearly fall over as the red Knightmare charged him again. Suzaku twisted out of the way, finding himself smiling as the red Knightmare followed. He allowed himself to slump forward slightly, rolling his shoulders. "Alright then."

Suzaku met the red Knightmare mid charge, settling into the flow of battle. It was like the martial arts classes during gym, it just took a bit more thought because of the reaction times of the Knightmares. And it was fun, as much he hated to admit it. He liked the challenge of fighting someone on his level. Back home it was different, he had to hold back because he was teaching those who were having trouble, but he never got to push himself like this.

He smiled as he dodged around a kick, throwing one of his own and hitting. The Lancelot nearly overbalanced on its landing, Suzaku panting as he backed away, content to circle for the time being.

A quick look at the energy level showed that he was still good for a while. But the JLF would be it a worse state, they would be down to the last minutes of energy before they shut down. He just had to hold them here until then and everything would be alright.

Suzaku let out an exhausted chuckle, shifting the Lancelot into a crouch again, ready to lunge at the red Knightmare when he saw it straighten, Suzaku wondering what was going on. The Knightmare hesitated for a moment more before ducking back into the tunnel, the other working Knightmare following it.

For a moment, Suzaku was tempted to follow them, but he held himself back. He reached up to adjust the incom in his ear, the device had began to wiggle loose during the fight. "Lelouch, the Knightmare are retreating. Administration building secure."

"Suzaku, you…" Lelouch trailed off, Suzaku smirking as he imagined the emperor rolling his eyes. "Get back here, now."

"But Lelouch-"

"Kewell's squad has been dispatched to cover the area. Get back here, Knight of Seven, that's an order."

"Yes, your majesty." Suzaku sighed and sent the Lancelot forward, gathering enough speed to lift off into the air when he activated the float system.

It was an easy flight over the battle, Suzaku paying close attention to the arrangement of the forces, not surprised to see that the JLF were being pushed back. He couldn't be sure how long the battle had gone on, but they had held out longer than he had thought. Still, they had been defeated, which was all that mattered. And Nunnally was safe, which was equally as important. If Nunnally was safe, then Lelouch was safe.

Suzaku shifted in his seat, carefully flexing his fingers, trying to plan ahead. That just left Euphemia's funeral, and Suzaku wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle that. He guessed that he would just have to stand by Lelouch and wait for the fallout.

He swallowed at that, focusing back on the retreating forces below them. "Lelouch…"

"Not now, Suzaku." There was a long sigh over the line. "Later. Just…wait until later."

Suzaku bit his lip, nodding to himself even though Lelouch couldn't see him. "Alright, Lelouch."

* * *

Gino leaned back in the chair with his glass in his hand, glancing over at Anya who was still fiddling with her electronic diary. It had been on the fritz all day which had led Anya to be equally as frazzled. Gino had been sticking around her all day, making sure to supply her with an endless supply of stories about the court and the things that they had done together, keeping her calm until the electronic diary and sorted itself.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face, setting the glass down on the nearby table, just restraining himself from putting his feet on the table. Nonette would get on his case. Sometimes it was almost like his governess was still around. Gino laughed at that, tipping his head back further.

Well, at least something was going right, Anya's electronic diary was working again. He sighed and shifted in his seat. That was better than listening to Luciano and Monica argue about what was happening in Area 11. It wasn't much of an argument in the end, it was just Monica shouting at Luciano to shut up about what he wanted to do to the JLF. And they were back in Pendragon. It was good to be home, in a way. Now only if his mother would stop begging him to come home and meet the next perspective wife.

Gino sighed and rubbed his forehead, staring at his drink before deciding to let sit a bit longer. He wasn't desperate enough to have it now. And he had to be reasonably sober in case Anya had more problems with her electronic diary.

He jumped as the door to their common room slammed open, Gino watching as the Knights of One and Two swept into the room, Bismarck walking over to the chairs. He watched as Bismarck leaned on the back of one of the chairs, looking furious.

He raised and eyebrow and lifted his drink from the table, offering it to Bismarck. He was surprised when the Knight of One took the glass and drank the contents of it before slamming it down on the table. Gino chuckled to himself, staring at the empty glass. "Whoa, looks like you might be needing more of that."

"The emperor is gone."

Gino stared at him in shock, shaking his head before laughing. He glanced back at Bismarck, his laughter trailing off as Bismarck glared at him. Gino cleared his throat and sat up. "You're serious."

"I've been looking for him since noon."

"Did you look everywhere?" The glared that Bismarck sent his way had Gino raising his hands in surrender. "Sorry, this place is huge and the emperor grew up here. He knows the places to hide."

"I assure you, Sir Weinberg, I have checked everywhere." Gino slumped in his seat, the stress on his title enough to assure him that he was in trouble. Bismarck seemed satisfied with his chastising and slumped further over the chair. "He didn't even tell us where he was going."

"You know the emperor, he's too wrapped up in…" Gino hesitated for a moment before waving his hand around. "This."

"Well, this is going to get him killed one day." Bismarck took a deep breath, whatever he was going to say next interrupted by the soft ping from the screen. They all turned towards the screen, Gino about to ask who had an incoming call when Bismarck stood up. "That would be the emperor."

"Calling to apologize?" That at least got a smile on Bismarck's face, if only for a moment.

The Knight of One flicked on the television, a news program coming on for a moment, Gino tipping his head to the side. He was sure that the new Knight of Eleven had left it on some cooking channel last night. He distinctly remembered storming out to find the kitchens after an hour of looking at delicious food and being stuck with the peanuts that were in the room.

Gino frowned and settled back into his chair, watching as the reporter nervously shuffled through her papers. "We interrupt this program to bring you news from Area 11. Earlier today the Tokyo Settlement was attacked by JLF troops."

"What?" Bismarck was on his feet in an instant, Gino rolling his eyes and leaning forward to turn up the volume.

"Sources say that the attack was incited by the slaughter of the leaders of the Japanese Resistance Front at the opening of the Special Administrative Zone. While it hasn't been confirmed who first opened fire, the Britannians or the Elevens, the bodies of the JLF officials have been recovered along with the body of a Britannian." Gino tensed and leaned forward, his jaw dropping as he watched the news feed switch to the image of a casket being carried out of the administration building and towards a plane, staring at the red and gold cape that was draped over it. "The Knight of Five, Albert Raleigh, was found in the stadium that would hold the opening ceremonies for the Special Administrative Zone, his Knightmare Frame completely destroyed."

"They got Raleigh!" Gino ignored the shout, leaning forward as the image switched back to the reporter.

"The Tokyo Settlement itself suffered little damage from the attack and the JLF forces were pushed back." The reporter paused, pressing a hand to an ear before she relaxed. "Just in, the emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia, is going to make an announcement."

The screen went blank for a moment, the only sound in the common room the sound of Anya typing. Gino swallowed, tapping his fingers impatiently on his leg, waiting for the announcement. If Area 11 had been attacked, why hadn't the emperor ordered them over there? It would have been easy for the Tristan to get there quickly and some of the lighter Knightmares. They could have avoided the death of a Knight of the Round.

He looked up as Lelouch came on the screen, ready to hear one of the usual speeches about the glory and the might of Britannia. Instead, he was greeting by a visibly paler Lelouch, the emperor standing a bit too close to the Knight of Seven. Gino frowned, shifting slightly so he would be able to run to the Tristan if he was ordered to. If Lelouch was with the Knight of Seven, then he was in Area 11.

"My loyal subjects, Area 11 is secure again." Lelouch swallowed visibly, Gino shifting in his seat. The emperor wasn't doing his usual speech, it was lacking in the almost trademark smirk and wide gestures. He glanced over at Bismarck, watching the Knight of One stand up. Something was definitely wrong.

He turned his attention back to the screen as Lelouch cleared his throat. "But the social experiment that Princess Euphemia had proposed will now be cancelled, every part of it. She…she was willing to overlook the fact that the Numbers are lesser people to try and give them some kind of hope, some kind of kindness in their own countries. She offered them a way out without war, and they showed that they care for nothing but war.

"I was willing to let his social experiment run it course, because it was harmless. And it should have remained so." Lelouch drew himself up, Gino getting a glimpse of a hand moving from Lelouch's arm. "Unfortunately, some people took it upon themselves to make sure that it would fail." Lelouch shivered, staring at the ground for a moment before looking up at the camera. "Princess Euphemia is dead…"

Gino jumped at the shouts of outrage that came from behind him, turning to look at the other Knights of the Round that had wandered into the common room. Bismarck waved for silence as Lelouch struggled to speak again. "She was murdered by…" Lelouch shook his head and gestured off screen, Gino guessing that it was a signal.

The camera cut away, but not before the whole world saw Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia turn around and lean on the Knight of Seven, pulling the Eleven into a hug and pressing his face into the Eleven's neck.

* * *

Cornelia stared at the screen, slumped against the wall as she watched the broadcast, not processing half of the information that had been shown. She had stopped listening after Lelouch had said that Euphy was dead, that she had been murdered. Cornelia clawed at the wall, trying to keep herself upright.

This wasn't happening, Euphy was safe. She was safe in the administration building with Nunnally, as safe as they could be at the moment. All they had to do was wait until nightfall and they could sneak back in. General Katase wasn't around to stop them and they could get both Euphy and Nunnally. That would make Lelouch stop, and Euphy would be safe. She wouldn't be dead, couldn't be dead.

Cornelia had already lost her Glaston Knights and Guilford, she couldn't lose anyone else. She couldn't just lose everyone she loved that easily.

She slid down the wall, her circular thoughts finally coming to a stop as she watched the casket carried out of the building, following the same path that the Knight of Five's casket had gone, Cornelia suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

He was sending her back to the homeland. Euphy was going home and she couldn't be there. She would be killed if she even showed up at the funeral. But there was some happiness to be found in the fact that Lelouch couldn't go either, Cornelia watching as her brother followed the casket, the Knight of Seven following him across the runway. Lelouch wouldn't go back, because it would mean leaving Nunnally, and he wouldn't do that, not now.

Even then he would have his sister.

Lelouch got to keep the empire, his place as the emperor and his sister in exchange for nothing. Euphy's life compared to all of that was nothing, and Lelouch probably didn't even care. He had used her to save his life and then had thrown her away when her plans had crossed with his. It was his fault, his and the JLF's that Euphy was dead.

Cornelia clenched her hands into fists, carefully pulling herself up off the floor before storming away. She would get him back for this. She wouldn't even stoop to killing Nunnally in return for her sister, some part of her wouldn't allow herself to do that. She would just be content with destroying Lelouch completely. And the horrible thing was that it wouldn't bring Euphemia back, it would calm her rage but not bring her sister back.

She muttered a curse and pushed open the door to her room, slamming the door shut before sliding down it, staring at the wall. She would have to kill the only brother she had ever tolerated and break Nunnally's heart, just like Lelouch had broken hers. And all she could think of was how it was worth it. Completely and utterly worth it.


	13. Chapter 13

** Chapter Thirteen **

_September 23, 2017_

Schneizel looked up from the sheets of paper on his desk, carefully pushing the packets of reports that his surveillance teams had given to him together as the man entered the room. Schneizel took a single glance at the folder and tray of food that the man was carrying before gesturing to a table beside his desk, already going back to his work.

There was a soft clink as the tray was set down on the table, Schneizel wrinkling his nose at the smell of the tea that they had brought him. What he wouldn't give for a cup of good Earl Grey, not this cheap imitation. Although, that blame rested squarely on his father's shoulders. Charles zi Britannia had made sure that the world couldn't live without the products that Britannia manufactured, and then made sure that their enemies wouldn't receive them. Of course, one could never control the Black Market, but it was enough.

He sighed and restacked his papers, shifting them to make room for the folder that was deposited on his desk, Schneizel looking at it out of the corner of his eye. It was probably just the plans for the Damocles and more reports talking about delays thanks to what Lelouch was doing; nothing that he wouldn't be used to already. It was something that could probably wait until morning, or later on in the day if his watch had the right time.

"Is there anything else I can get for you Prince Schneizel?"

He raised his hand and gestured for the man to leave the room. "That will be all Kanon."

Schneizel's eyes widened a fraction when he realized what he had done, continuing to read through the reports like he hadn't noticed the slip up. Thankfully, the man didn't mention it either, bowing and slipping out of the room. It was only when he was sure that he was alone that Schneizel allowed the papers to drop out of his hand, pressing his fingers to his forehead.

He was surprised that he hadn't suffered some mental break down by now, although he supposed that he had enough practice from being the prime minister of Britannia before Lelouch had ousted him. And he still had people working under him, he had always been good at delegating.

That being said, none of those working for him now were the most efficient. They were always afraid that Lelouch would turn on them despite the deal that he had worked out via the Knights of the Round. It was a valid fear, but it would become a reality if they didn't work harder on the Damocles project. Schneizel couldn't do this alone, it was too big of a project for that. Not even the weapon that Clara Einstein was designing would be enough to completely destroy Lelouch, it would be enough to intimidate him. But, knowing Lelouch, his little brother would push him to see how far Schneizel would go. And he still wouldn't have an adequate support staff to help him.

None of them were as good as Kanon…

It's all too easy to get his mind to move away from that train of thought. He has had two years to get over Kanon, and he was, for the most part. Kanon had been a brilliant aide and the closest thing he had to a confidante and a friend. And that was all he could allow himself to think of him, anything more and he would lose himself again. In the end, the sake of the world was more important than one aide. He could always get another.

Schneizel turned to pour himself a cup of tea, staring at the muddy brown color before taking a deep breath and drinking. As he had thought, it tasted disgusting, Schneizel swallowing it before setting the cup aside. He would just leave it, someone would come and pick it up later. They would complain about him being a spoiled prince, but he was the spoiled prince that was working to get rid of the emperor that was tormenting them. He was also the reason that Lelouch wasn't attacking the EU outright, his younger brother wouldn't want the chaos. Schneizel would use that chaos to escape and Lelouch would have to begin the chase again. He wouldn't be secure on the throne until Schneizel was found.

He leaned back in his chair, pushing the reports off to one side before staring at the folder in front of him. It would be best if he just skimmed the contents. He hummed to himself, opening up the folder and staring at the various reports on the progress of Damocles, the one thing that would absolutely bring Lelouch up short. The building of the ship was going slowly, constrained by the technology, delays in deliveries and lack of funds, but it was growing. And, when Clara finished her weapon, then it would be ready to be used against Lelouch. Until then, he would sit back and hope that Cornelia didn't call for his help, because he had no resources to send to her. For now, he was just an honored guest of the EU, nothing more.

Schneizel folded his hands on the desk, staring at the papers spread out around him before carefully putting them back in their folder and slipping the folder into a draw. He leaned over to lock the drawer, freezing in the middle of the motion as he heard someone running down the hall towards his office and bedroom, Schneizel shooting a disdainful look at the cot against the wall. He swore that the thing was trying to break his spine.

He looked back up as the man charged in, out of breath. "News from Area 11. The JLF has been destroyed."

"What?" Schneizel stood up, glaring at the man. If the JLF had been destroyed, that meant that Cornelia was gone too.

The man looked ashamed for a moment, staring at the floor. "Their leaders are gone, the resistance movement in his shambles. They attacked the Tokyo Settlement, but they were turned back by the emperor and his troops."

"The emperor is in Britannia."

"Not anymore."

Schneizel dropped his gaze to his desk. So Lelouch had thought it was worth the risk to leave the Knights of the Round behind to get to Area 11, but he couldn't have known about this attack, not even through a spy network. Schneizel rocked forward, putting more weight on his hands. "So they're disorganized. Is Cornelia still there?"

"To the best of our knowledge, yes." Schneizel allowed himself a sigh of relief. The best strategist on the battlefield out of all of them was still alive. "But I have worse news."

"Worse?"

The man nodded miserably. "Princess Euphemia is dead."

Schneizel felt his knees wobble at the mention of his sister, carefully sitting down in the chair to avoid falling down. He cleared his throat carefully. "JLF?" The man shook his head, Schneizel frowning. "Lelouch?"

"No one knows, sir. The emperor didn't say in his broadcast. He just said that she was dead and sent her back home."

"Good. Good." Schneizel nodded slowly before leaning back in his seat, resting his cheek against one hand. "At least he allowed her that dignity. We'll use this to our advantage."

"Prince Schneizel?"

"Of course I'll mourn her." Schneizel glared at the man. "Euphemia was my sister first and foremost. But we must also extend that comfort to our allies who were counting on her. It's time for the world to know how Euphemia fought against the injustices that the emperor proposed and was killed for it."

"But we don't know-"

"Do we?" Schneizel watched as the man's eyes widened, smiling to himself. He dismissed the man with a wave of his hand before standing up and shakily making his way to the cot on the other side of the room. They would have plenty of time to use this to their advantage, but Schneizel wanted the time to sort out his memories of Euphemia, to figure out which ones he could think on without being debilitated by grief. Then, he would be ready to move on with their plans.

* * *

Suzaku trailed Lelouch through the corridors of the administrative building, glancing around for people before quickly walking up beside him and taking his arm.

Lelouch jerked at the touch, Suzaku waiting for Lelouch to face him. He didn't expect the emperor to stare at him in surprise for a moment, nor did he expect Lelouch to collapse partially on him. Suzaku stood still as Lelouch's free hand came up to clutch a handful of fabric. He looked down at Lelouch, hesitating.

Except for when Euphemia had died, Lelouch had always made the first move to touch. Any attempts by Suzaku to initiate a hug had been pushed away and met with glares. But Lelouch had been the first to make the move this time, Suzaku had just been intending to stop Lelouch before he passed the door to his room again.

He sighed and wrapped his arm around Lelouch, pulling him closer. Like he had done before, Lelouch pressed his face against the skin of Suzaku's neck, just above where the collar of his shirt ended. Suzaku tipped his head to rest his cheek on the top of Lelouch's head, letting it remain there for a moment before straightening up again. "Lelouch…"

Lelouch shivered and pressed closer to him, even struggling when Suzaku pulled him away, his hand going from clenched on Suzaku's shoulder to wrapped around his neck. Suzaku calmly ducked out of the hold, making sure to keep his hold from being too restraining, smiling at Lelouch. "Easy. Your room is right here."

The emperor glanced to the side for relaxing, pulling away from Suzaku and walking into the room. Suzaku followed after him, mentally going over what he would have to do. Jeremiah should be alerted of how off Lelouch was, and Nunnally should be brought close to her brother so that they could be together as they grieved. The Knights of the Round should be called and brought back to Japan. After the beating that they had gotten, the JLF was bound to wait to recover, but that didn't mean that Cornelia would sit back as well. She was probably planning her revenge for her sister right now. That was another thing to do, make sure that the media knew that it was the Knight of Five and not the JLF that had killed Euphemia.

All of that would have to wait until he had gotten Lelouch into his room and made sure that the emperor was properly cared for. Even then Suzaku was willing to resort to just calling Jeremiah and Bismarck from outside the room to be sure that nothing horrible happened to Lelouch. There were probably plenty of citizens living in Tokyo that would want to try and kill Lelouch, especially after how shaken he had acted on the broadcasts. Food would probably have to wait for a while, as much as Suzaku hated to admit it. From experience he knew that eating would be the last thing on Lelouch's mind.

He stepped into the dark room, hearing the door slide shut behind him, lifting his gaze to watch Lelouch stumble over to the bed. The emperor threw his hat to the side, slumping onto the bed and staring at the floor. Suzaku swallowed and looked down at the ground again. He knew how Lelouch was feeling, and part of him didn't want to offer any of the empty phrases that Lelouch would have to suffer through over the next few days. He had always hated him when his classmates had spoken them after telling them that his mother was dead.

He never told them that he had watched his mother die or that he had watched her kill herself slowly with Refrain. It was better for them just to guess that his mother had been in an accident, less pity that way. The pity just reminded him of what he didn't have, and made him miss her a bit more, if missing his absent mother had been possible.

Suzaku sighed, mentally calculating the time it would take to carry out what he would have to do and hating that he would have to leave Lelouch for that length of time. The nearest means of communication was the screen in Lelouch's study part of the way down the hall. Suzaku rubbed his forehead as he turned away from the bed, taking a deep breath, feeling it catch on something in his throat.

As much as he wanted to cry for Euphemia, he couldn't. He was too used to death, too used to shutting down and turning his emotions off when faced with a crisis. The concept of a time to mourn was foreign to him, his life demanding that he keep moving for survival. And part of him envied Lelouch for getting that time. He rolled his shoulders forward, curling protectively around himself as he reached for the keypad.

"Suzaku?" His hand came to a stop over the keys, Suzaku slowly closing his fingers as he turned to look back at Lelouch. The emperor had given up all pretenses of being unaffected by his half sister's death, now slumped over with his arms wrapped around himself, fingers digging into his shoulders. "He killed…even after I ordered him to…"

Lelouch looked up at him, Suzaku shocked at the helplessness in his gaze. He was used to the mask that Lelouch wore in public. He cautiously took a step towards the emperor, watching as Lelouch tipped his body slightly away from him. Suzaku paused, shocked by the obvious flinch. "If I can't trust the Knights of the Round, then who can I trust?"

Suzaku tipped his head to the side with a soft smile. There was the root of the problem. Lelouch depended on his knights to keep Nunnally safe, he wouldn't be able to leave the palace without knowing that. Lelouch was trying to balance the fear for his sister's life, the fear for his own life and the shock and horror that came with the death of his half sister. All of that and he was still trying to keep his composure, all because Suzaku was still in the room.

He sighed and reached for the cape that was draped around him, carefully undoing the clasp and letting the material pool on the floor. For now, he didn't want to be associated with the Knights of the Rounds, not while Lelouch was so obviously frightened of them. The rest of the uniform was standard enough for most knights that he would be safe.

Suzaku walked over to stand in front of Lelouch, watching the emperor jump as he pulled his sword out of its scabbard. The emperor had insisted that they get dressed in their ceremonial outfits for the official announcement of Euphemia's death.

Lelouch immediately clambered back further onto the bed. "S-Suzaku?"

Instead of answering the question, Suzaku reached forward and grabbed Lelouch's wrist, using that hold to pull him to towards the edge of the bed again. He wrapped Lelouch's hand around the sword's hilt, carefully bringing the other to join it when Lelouch had stopped struggling. Keeping one hand over the two that Lelouch had gripping the sword, Suzaku knelt on the ground, gently guiding the sword until the tip rested over his heart. Only then did he look up at Lelouch's face, taking in the look of surprise on the emperor's face with a soft smile. "You can trust me, your highness."

He forced Lelouch to press the point of the sword a bit harder against him for a moment before letting go, arranging himself into the proper bow, one arm in front of him and one behind. Suzaku rocked his head forward, closing his eyes and waiting for the verdict.

Part of him still balked and offering up this much to Lelouch, his life and his loyalty, especially knowing what would happen in a little over a year. In the end, Lelouch would be dead, and he would have to let the emperor die. Suzaku swallowed, forcing the lump in his throat away. For the sake of his future, he had to let Lelouch die. And, for his own life, he had to make sure Lelouch felt safe around him. Lloyd had said he didn't know how long it would take for him to repair the time machine, so Suzaku had to keep himself safe.

He opened his eyes as he felt the sword move away from him, glancing down as it clattered to the floor by his side. Suzaku dared to look up at Lelouch, watching the emperor carefully as Lelouch gestured for him to rise.

Suzaku followed the order, surprised when Lelouch stood with him, relaxing a fraction at the seemingly sincere smile on Lelouch's face. He turned his gaze away, surprised when Lelouch slipped two fingers under his chin and forced him to look up, directly into Lelouch's eyes.

"My knight." Suzaku tensed when Lelouch's hand lifted from underneath his chin to cup his cheek. He shivered as he felt Lelouch's thumb stroke over his cheekbone, a gasp escaping him. Lelouch seemed to chuckle at that, taking a step closer. "My loyal knight."

Suzaku wanted nothing more than to step backwards and pull away, but his body wouldn't move. He was quickly approaching a point where he didn't know what to do. There was too much invested in this venture already, he didn't want it going any further. Already he was the closest to Lelouch and he wasn't even the Knight of One. He had only known the emperor for two months, but he had spent nearly every hour of those days by Lelouch's side. Suzaku swallowed, feeling Lelouch fingers drop from his cheek to brush against his throat, following the motion.

He wanted to ask Lelouch to step away again, so that they could go back to the simple dynamic of knight and emperor. They had crossed a line somewhere, a line that he had never wanted to cross. He wanted so badly to just tell Lelouch to back away, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, all he could manage was, "Your orders?"

Lelouch tipped his head to the side, obviously considering the statement. Suzaku shivered as those purple eyes narrowed as Lelouch came to a conclusion. He licked his lips, watching as Lelouch followed the motion of his tongue before leaning forward, Suzaku helpless to do anything but put a little more distance between them. He was stopped before he could move too far, Lelouch's hand now resting on the back of his neck, the fingertips touching his skin lightly, making him shiver. "Comfort me."

There was room to refuse, Suzaku could hear it in the order, in the way that Lelouch almost turned it into a question. He could back away right now and save himself. Of course, things would be tense between the two of them for a while, but he could laugh it off by saying that he wasn't attracted to Lelouch like that. He could lie and say that it was just enough to be his knight. He could do many things and save himself from the end that was coming just over a year from now. But he couldn't because Lelouch was his emperor and the closest thing he had to a friend in this world. And, he had seen Lelouch at his lowest. He had been the one to pull Lelouch close after he had finished annihilating Sir Raleigh. Lelouch needed this and he needed it too.

Suzaku took a breath, slowly letting it out as he contemplated just what he was about to do. He shouldn't have wanted this as badly as he did. He shouldn't have been so willing to say those three words. "Yes your majesty."

Lelouch surged forward at that, the hand that had been resting against Suzaku's neck flattening out, Lelouch's fingers turned up to press into the hair at the nape of Suzaku's neck as he pressed his lips against Suzaku's. The chaste kiss lasted only a moment before Lelouch swept his tongue across Suzaku's lips, Suzaku cautiously opening his mouth only to be overwhelmed as Lelouch immediately took control.

Their tongues met for a moment, Lelouch merely brushing them together before he brushed his tongue over the roof of Suzaku's mouth. Suzaku shivered, going limp as he let Lelouch dominate the kiss, wrapping one arm around Lelouch's shoulders before tangling another into his hair. He used the hold to pull Lelouch away from his mouth, taking that moment to gasp for air before guiding Lelouch into a slower, less desperate kiss. He felt Lelouch balk at that, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he understood. Lelouch wanted something with force.

Suzaku pulled away again, watching as Lelouch opened his eyes in confusion. He pulled his arm from around Lelouch's neck carefully unbuttoning the collar of Lelouch's robes, pushing the excess fabric that still adorned his shoulders off. Suzaku flinched as he felt Lelouch's fingers pull at his hair, pointedly not giving into the demand for another kiss. He nuzzled along the line of Lelouch's jaw instead, pausing at the end of the jawbone to scrape his teeth across skin before ducking his head to rest against Lelouch's neck.

The hand in his hair slid down his back, resting between his shoulder blades, Suzaku smiling against Lelouch's neck at that. He did listen to Lelouch's insistent push, taking a step forward as Lelouch let himself fall to the bed, Suzaku following him.

He managed to start on the complex series of zippers and clasps that made up Lelouch's outfit, peeling away the first layer before they hit the bed. Suzaku reached up to continue to pull down the zipper, trying to continue to kiss Lelouch and keep from blocking Lelouch's own attempts to pull his clothes off.

For what seemed like forever, they just fumbled, both of them struggling to get clothes off and just managing to toss them over the surface of the bed, quickly losing their focus on that in favor of kissing. Kissing was safe and what Suzaku knew. It was what he had done the most with Lelouch, anything further was edging into territory that he wasn't sure about. Most of his kissing experience he had gotten from Lelouch.

Suzaku pulled himself away, panting for breath as Lelouch wrapped his arms around Suzaku's shoulders, holding them together. Suzaku ducked his head, shivering as Lelouch rocked against him. He tensed as he felt Lelouch slip a hand between them, pulling back as far as Lelouch would allow. Even then the emperor was scrambling at him, the panicked look back on Lelouch's face. "S-Suzaku…"

He stared down at Lelouch, giving in quickly and wrapping his arms around Lelouch and pulling him close. "I-I've never…" His face was tipped up for another kiss, Lelouch managing to pull the zipper down on his shirt this time and peel it off. Suzaku allowed him to throw the shirt to the bed before pulling back. "Never even liked anyone before."

"What about me?" The question was asked between kisses laid on his neck, Suzaku tipping his head back and gasping at the feeling of Lelouch's hands on his skin.

"I have to leave…"

"No. Stay. You're my knight. Mine." It was a repeat of those desperate words that Lelouch had murmured in the garden on the night before he had left; the same words that had kept Suzaku up nearly all night as he thought them over. He had even formulated a reply to them then. But the situation was different now.

He swallowed and reached between them, fumbling with the zipper of Lelouch's pants before pulling it down. Lelouch gasped and arched against him, Suzaku resting his forehead against Lelouch's shoulder as he wiggled his fingers into the gap between fabric and skin. Lelouch clung to him more tightly at that, Suzaku sure that Lelouch's nails were leaving marks on his back. But he didn't care, it was keeping Lelouch close to him. All he cared about was getting closer to Lelouch.

Suzaku moaned against Lelouch's shoulder, his fingers stroking the skin inches above where Lelouch wanted to be touched. "Can I…can I…"

"Yes."

Suzaku's mouth went dry at that, Suzaku pushing himself away from Lelouch to fumble with his own pants. He succeeded in pulling them partially down before cursing, yanking his boots off and letting them tumble to the floor. The pants followed, Suzaku kicking off his boxers before turning back to Lelouch, pulling Lelouch's pants and underwear down at the same time. He tossed them to the side, barely noticing that they had landed partially on the bed before he crawled over Lelouch again.

He gasped at the first touch of skin on skin, too enamored with the feeling to notice that Lelouch had grabbed his hand. Suzaku did notice when Lelouch licked two of his fingers, looking up from where he was kissing Lelouch's collarbone. His eyes widened as he watched Lelouch pull his fingers into his mouth, Suzaku shivering and dropping his head to rest on Lelouch's shoulder. His hips jerked, getting a gasp from Lelouch. There was a brief moment of hesitation before Lelouch responded in kind.

Suzaku managed to free his fingers from Lelouch's mouth, shifting slightly so he could reach between them and push a finger in. He was ready for Lelouch to tense and protest, but wasn't ready for how tight it was. Suzaku gritted his teeth, fighting back another moan. It was far tighter than he had thought it would be. He twisted his hand, waiting a moment before adding the second finger and beginning to stretch Lelouch.

Lelouch flinched and dug his nails into Suzaku's shoulders, probably a warning that it hurt. Suzaku turned his head to the side, alternately nuzzling and kissing Lelouch's neck to try and distract him as he searched. There was something that would cause pleasure, both Milly and, much to his embarrassment, Lloyd, had spoken to him about it when they had taken on the 'duty' of educating him about sex. Cecile had been the more vague of the three and had confined her discussion to women. But Suzaku found himself mentally thanking Lloyd and Milly for their in-depth talks, especially with the way that Lelouch was gasping out his name every time his fingers rubbed against Lelouch's prostate.

A particular moan that was followed with Lelouch bucking up against Suzaku had him biting down on Lelouch's shoulder, trying to keep himself from coming. It was too soon, he hadn't even gotten the chance to be inside of Lelouch.

Suzaku licked his lips, pulling his fingers out. Lelouch whined and arched against him, Suzaku partially sure that he loved Lelouch like this; panting and unable to get his usual biting words out. For once, Lelouch was speechless, and it was surprisingly wonderful.

He leaned up to kiss Lelouch, Lelouch eagerly returning it, taking control and leading him into a faster paced kiss that had Suzaku's head spinning. He pulled away before he could lose control, reaching down to grab a hold of himself before carefully guiding himself into Lelouch.

The initial breech seemed to go unnoticed, Lelouch distracted from the pain as he reached up to pull Suzaku into a kiss, trying to hold him there. Lelouch's resolve disappeared the next moment, Lelouch pushing Suzaku's head away. "God, you're…" The rest of his sentence trailed off into a whine, Lelouch clutching at Suzaku's shoulders as Suzaku slid all the way in.

Suzaku just nodded in response, panting for breath as he felt Lelouch moving around him. He let his head sink down to rest against Lelouch, trying to center himself again. It seemed like an impossible thing to do when he's surrounded by Lelouch and could think of nothing else.

He was jolted back to the present as Lelouch bucked up against him, one hand brushing through his hair. "Move."

Suzaku nodded and followed the order, pulling out slowly only to thrust back in, Lelouch whining and clawing at him. He repeated the move, tensing at the first half-scream of his name. And then he was lost. He could only focus on the feeling of Lelouch moving against him, of him moving inside of Lelouch. He could only hear the breathy whines that Lelouch made, the whispered commands to move a certain way or a soft shout of encouragement.

Lelouch's hands tugged at his shoulders until Suzaku was braced with one hand beside Lelouch's head and the other on his hip. Suzaku shivered at the frantic kisses that Lelouch gave him, more than half of them ending with teasing nips to his neck.

Suzaku shuddered as Lelouch landed a particularly vicious one on his shoulder, the one arm he was holding himself up with almost collapsing. He managed to catch himself on his elbow, Lelouch taking advantage of the situation. Suzaku was pulled into another kiss even as he guided Lelouch's hips to move, finding a new angle that allowed him to thrust deeper into Lelouch and to hit his prostate more often.

It was enough to have Lelouch trembling against him, gasping his name. "Suzaku…I…"

Suzaku didn't verbally acknowledge the warning, shifting to the angle that he knew would hit Lelouch's prostate, rewarded with a loud yell from Lelouch. He reacted a bit too slowly, leaning down to silence the shout halfway through, feeling Lelouch's body jerk and shudder under him. Semen splattered on his stomach as Lelouch came, Suzaku continuing to thrust into him, climaxing soon afterward.

He collapsed partially off Lelouch, panting for breath and listening to the emperor do the same. Only when he was sure that he could move did Suzaku pull out of Lelouch, crawling up to lay beside him for a moment. As soon as Suzaku felt like he could move his limbs and think again, he would roll out of the bed and attempt to clean himself off. There was still the Knights of the Round and Jeremiah to talk to, but his couch was looking very good at the moment. All he had to do was find his boxers and he could crawl under his covers.

Suzaku rocked a bit, trying to roll onto his stomach only to be stopped by Lelouch's hand on his arm. He turned to look at the emperor, affectionately amused by the way that Lelouch couldn't quite keep his eyes open. His arm was tugged on, Suzaku automatically scooting closer, unable to stop himself from pressing his face into Lelouch's hair and smiling. He wrapped his arms around Lelouch and held him close, promising himself that he would leave as soon as Lelouch fell asleep.

He felt Lelouch gently bump his jaw, pulling away from Lelouch to look down at the emperor. Lelouch glanced up at him before pressing his face against Suzaku's neck. "You're staying."

"Of course."

"In bed." Suzaku just nodded, too relaxed to care at the moment.

The bed was very comfortable, and Lelouch was nice and warm. And it was surprisingly comfortable to hold Lelouch in his arms, the emperor was already drifting to sleep.

Suzaku shook him, keeping Lelouch awake for a moment longer, just to wiggle the covers out from under them before pulling the covers over the two of them. Lelouch gave a satisfied sigh, nuzzling Suzaku before flipping to his other side, shifting back against Suzaku. The knight allowed him to move, smiling sleepily as Lelouch reached back to pull one of Suzaku's arms over his stomach, stroking over Suzaku's skin before settling down again.

He nuzzled the back of Lelouch's neck, not quite sure if the kiss that he placed there was only in his mind or if he had actually done it. It didn't really matter that much in the scheme of things, he was warm and ridiculously content. And, after all that had happened today, Suzaku was willing to let everything else slide.

* * *

 _September 24, 2017_

Lelouch strode down the hall, trying his best not to limp. He was aware of the smirk on Suzaku's face, just like he was hyper aware that the knight was walking a bit too close to him. But he wasn't about to tell Suzaku to stop, not while he was still running on the high from his orgasm in the shower this morning. If anything, he wanted to pull Suzaku close and snuggle into his warmth again.

It had been very comfortably waking up next to his knight. Lelouch had flipped to his other side to curl into Suzaku for a few more minutes of dozing. Suzaku had woken up slowly then, brushing one of his hands through Lelouch's hair until Lelouch had looked up to kiss him. That had led to another kiss, and then another one until they all blurred together in Lelouch's head. And that had led to Lelouch slipping away to take a shower, only for Suzaku to follow.

He turned to look over his shoulder, Suzaku jerking his gaze up from Lelouch's lower back. Lelouch attempted to glare, but Suzaku just smiled, that enough to make Lelouch turn around to keep Suzaku from seeing his own smile.

Suzaku was probably the only reason that he was functioning at this point, providing him with a welcome distraction from what was happening. And that was perfectly fine with him, Lelouch worked through grief by finding else to hold onto, to obsess over.

Other people didn't work like that.

He came to a stop in front of Nunnally's door, looking back at Suzaku before raising his hand to knock. There was silence from the room, that prompting Lelouch to raise his hand again, catching Nunnally's soft, "Come in," at the last moment. Lelouch reached out for the number pad, pressing his finger against the button to slide the door open.

Lelouch slipped into the room before the door was even completely open, striding across the room to where Nunnally lay curled up on her bed. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw that she was crying, quickly sitting on the edge of the bed and gathering her into his arms. "Nunnally…"

She gripped his shoulders tightly as she sobbed, Lelouch glancing at Suzaku to make sure that the knight was standing guard by the door before curling around her. He ran a hand through her hair, rocking them carefully. "I'm sorry, Nunnally. I didn't mean to…" Lelouch trailed off as he felt tears coming to his eyes. He ducked his head to press his face in her hair, gasping before finally allowing himself to cry.

Lelouch didn't know how long they clung to each other, he just knew that he recovered before Nunnally, carefully remaining in position so she could continue to cry into his shoulder. He waited until her sobs had calmed down before carefully stroking a hand through her hair. Only then did he wearily look up at Suzaku, the knight tensing before stepping away from the door and walking over to the bed.

Suzaku stopped an arms length from the bed, reaching out to run his hand through Lelouch's hair, Lelouch leaning into the gesture before turning his attention back to Nunnally.

His little sister pushed away from him, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her nightgown. Nunnally started a bit when she realized Suzaku was so close before turning her attention to Lelouch, crawling into his lap like she had done when she was little. Lelouch smiled and shifted to accommodate her, waiting for her to settle before wrapping his arms around her again.

She stared at the floor for a long while before looking up at him. "Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did they kill her? She was going to make everything better. And she was so proud of what she was doing." Nunnally had to stop to wipe tears away, taking a deep breath. "Why did they kill her?"

"The JLF didn't kill her. It was treachery on our side."

Nunnally glanced back at him, her eyes wide and, for a split second, Lelouch was afraid that she suspected him. He could live with the hatred of the world, but not with Nunnally's hatred. He desperately needed his little sister to love and understand him, or else all of this would be for nothing.

His fear was short lived, Nunnally just waiting for an explanation from him. Lelouch sighed and shook his head. "Someone ordered soldiers to fire on the JLF, which is why they attacked us."

"Who?"

"I don't know…" He trailed off and looked at Suzaku.

"I'll search the records."

"No." Lelouch forgot himself for a moment, catching himself part of the way through the motion to reach for Suzaku's arm. He didn't want the knight to leave them, not the one person that he trusted with their safety. "Get someone else."

Suzaku just nodded, Lelouch feeling grateful that the other understood. He turned his attention back to Nunnally leaning back slightly.

She stared at him in confusion, shaking her head slowly. "Who killed Euphy?"

"Raleigh." Lelouch bit his lip. He had wanted to keep that from Nunnally as long as possible, just to be able to have the time to wrap his own head around that fact. It was still impossible for him to fathom why the Knight of Five would have taken that extreme action, unless Raleigh had thought that was what he wanted. But that meant the blame rested with him, which he already knew. Lelouch sighed and let his head drop. "It was Raleigh."

"Raleigh? But he loved her! Why did he kill her?"

He stared at her, trying to work out how to tell Nunnally about Euphemia and Raleigh. Euphemia had gushed about him enough to make anyone believe that they were in love. But the truth was that Raleigh was more in love with Britannia that Euphemia. It was only because she was a princess of the empire that he had even loved her. And, if Euphemia hadn't insisted, he would have ordered Raleigh to never see her again. It would have been better if he had ignored his sister for once.

"It's…complicated."

"How?"

Lelouch slumped. "He thought he was anticipating my orders." He looked quickly, meeting Nunnally's eyes. "But I would never-"

"I know." She bit her lip before returning her gaze to the floor. "Have you told anyone?"

"No. I couldn't." He had barely been able to announce that Euphemia had died. He supposed that he should have made an inspiring speech to the nation about how they would move on after this, but he had still been able to feel her blood on his face, even though he had washed it off five minutes prior to the announcement. After having it on his face for the entirety of the battle, it was strange to feel clean. Although, it was strangely fitting for him to have gone into battle with the blood of his supposed enemy on his face.

"Will you?"

"Yes. Raleigh was a traitor to his country…She shouldn't have died."

Nunnally reached up to get a better hold on his shirt. "Right now?"

"No." He shook his head. "I'm not leaving you today."

"Thank you." She looked under his arm. "Suzaku can sit down if he wants."

"I'm fine where I am, your highness."

Lelouch looked up to meet Suzaku's gaze, not sure what the knight saw there that encouraged him to sit on the side of the bed, far too close for protocol. Lelouch didn't care either way, tilting his head to the side so that it rested on Suzaku's shoulder, glad of the knight's quiet strength. He would have to face the rest of his empire soon, but right now he just wanted to hide for a little while longer. Nunnally needed him more than the empire at the moment.

He was surprised when Nunnally dragged herself from his lap to glare at Suzaku, the knight looking shocked. Lelouch lifted his head from Suzaku's shoulder, watching as Nunnally reached out to steady herself on Suzaku. "Promise that you'll keep him safe. Promise that you'll protect him."

"Nunnally…"

"I promise." Suzaku gave him a warm smile before focusing on Nunnally. "I'll die before I let something happen to Lelouch."

Nunnally trembled before collapsing against him. "Thank you. Thank you."

Suzaku looked helplessly up at Lelouch, Lelouch just smiling and gently pulling his sister from Suzaku. He guided her up to the head of her bed, sitting beside her and stroking her hair. Nunnally sniffled and wiped the tears from her face, Lelouch watching her as she fell asleep. He waited until he was sure that she was asleep before looking at Suzaku.

"You're leaving in a year." The knight flinched, moving closer to Lelouch. He leaned back, watching as Suzaku stopped and sat on the edge of the bed. "You can't just promise that to Nunnally."

"I don't want to, Lelouch. I don't want to leave."

"Then why are you?"

"Because I have to." Suzaku ducked his head, slumping forward. "Just…just know that it won't be without a warning. I'll make sure that the two of you are safe when I go."

Lelouch glared at him, wishing that he didn't sound like he was begging as he spoke. "Stay. I can order you to stay."

"I'll have to disobey that order, Lelouch."

"Then I'll chase you down."

"You wouldn't be able to. You really wouldn't." Suzaku looked up, staring at him for a moment before turning, leaning forward to kiss Lelouch gently on the lips. "I'll keep you safe for as long as I am here, Lelouch."

"That's not comforting."

"I'm sorry." Suzaku smiled before scooting closer, Lelouch taking advantage of the move by resting his head against Suzaku's shoulder, letting his eyes fall shut as he relaxed.

"We'll have to call the Knights of the Round back."

"Yes."

"I'll have to announce who killed Euphemia before the rumors spread too far." Lelouch sighed. "And then I'll have to start moving."

"Lelouch?"

"There are some…things that I have to do."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Very probably." Lelouch tipped his head back, catching a glimpse of Suzaku's face, and not sure what to make of the knight's expression. "Will you turn on me then?"

"No. I don't like what you're doing but," Suzaku shook his head, "no. You have my complete loyalty."

"Because we…" Lelouch glanced down at Nunnally, the rest of his sentence stuck at the back of his throat.

He felt Suzaku's shoulder shake as the knight laughed. "You had it before then."

"Good." Lelouch nodded slowly, turning his attention back to Nunnally watching as she turned on her side to grab his hand. She wouldn't be asleep for long, just for thirty minutes or so. Then she would try to cheer him up as well. And, if that's what made her happy, he would let her attempt. But he wouldn't let her be alone today, not after everything that had happen. Nothing would ever convince him to give up his little sister, not even the world.

* * *

Gino watched the plane bearing the bodies of Sir Raleigh and Princess Euphemia land, hearing the distinctive snap of Anya's electronic diary as she took a picture. He turned around to raise an eyebrow at his fellow knight, Anya just shrugging and taking another picture. Gino sighed and shook his head, glancing up at the tow line that dangled from the Tristan's cockpit.

They were stuck waiting for Bismarck to finish briefing the two newest Knights of the Round before he escorted the two coffins to where they would wait for the funeral. The Knights of Eight and Eleven would be returning to Area 11 as soon as the funeral was over.

Gino twisted so that he was leaning against the Tristan's leg, watching Bismarck walk up into the airplane, probably checking to see if its precious cargo had arrived safely. The funerals would be a widely broadcast event. Even if the Numbers hated the empire, they had all at least respected Princess Euphemia, so they would watch to remember her.

He flipped his braids back over his shoulder, frowning at the plane. They would be watching the funeral from Area 11, and he was sure Lelouch would be too, something that disturbed him. He had probably been the closest to the eleventh prince when Lelouch had come back from Japan, if only for a little while. But it had been enough to know that Lelouch cared deeply for both Euphemia and Nunnally. Still, Euphemia had gone against everything that Lelouch was striving for. But would that be enough for him to hate her that much?

There were enough rumors in the palace that Lelouch had been faking his distress the entire time, that he had ordered the death of the princess. She had obviously been against him, and his reaction to her announcement about the Special Administrative Zone had been enough of a death toll for them. Of course, this was just what the nobles were saying, and they would say anything that they thought would bring them favor with the emperor.

The rumors that the common people were spreading were worse. They were saying that the whole thing had been set up by the JLF as a trap for her, that the Knight of Seven was really a traitor to the empire. He had been feeding information to the JLF while seducing the princess. Euphemia hadn't created any of those laws herself, she had been fed them by the traitor.

It was horrible and disturbing that the people could so easily question a Knight of the Round; and Gino wasn't sure that he believed it at all. He didn't know Suzaku personally, a fact that he was going to amend once he was back in Area 11, but he could hardly believe that Suzaku would be the kind of person who would kill a princess.

He shook his head and pushed away from the Tristan, turning his head to watch as Anya typed in her diary, probably recording everything that was happening and all the people that were there in case her memory failed her again. Gino sighed, glancing longingly at the tow rope. The sooner they were away from Britannia, the sooner they all could relax because they would be back with the emperor. Even if none of them believed the rumors, they were all tense because they had left an Eleven to guard him.

That and Gino really wanted to get away from his mother. She was pushing another noble girl on him. The girl was pretty, but not his type.

He looked up from the ground as Bismarck walked quickly over to them, about to give the Knight of One his usual large grin when he noticed how pale the man looked. Gino tipped his head to the side. "Bismarck?"

The Knight of One flinched, glancing at him before coming to a stop, lowering his voice. "Don't tell the others."

Gino leaned back with a laugh. "Do you know who you are talking to?"

"This isn't a joke, Sir Weinberg." Gino shifted back as Bismarck snapped at him, glaring at him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders to settle his cape into place. "They showed me the princess."

"You wanted to see her?"

"I watched her grow up." Bismarck didn't elaborate more than that, Gino raising an eyebrow. Bismarck had become the Knight of One with Charles zi Britannia, before Gino had been born. Of course he would have been around the court all the time and had seen Euphemia.

"Ah."

Bismarck gave a curt nod, drawing the cape closer around him. "As a Knight of the Round, I wanted to pay my last respects to the princess that I had served."

"Did she look like she was sleeping? Did that throw you off?" Gino remembered his little sister, the one that hadn't even survived a month. When they had buried her, she looked like she had been sleeping, so much so that Gino had even dared to poke her to see if he could make her cry. His mother had shouted for him at that before breaking down. So he had done the one thing he could think of to make her feel better, he had smiled and acted cheerful once the funeral was over. And it had worked.

"No." Bismarck cleared his throat. "She was torn apart."

He walked away before Gino could ask him another question, still trying to work the look of surprise off his face. He managed it after a click came from his left, Gino turning to see Anya lowering her diary. "Recorded."

Gino rolled his eyes before walking around to the tow rope, allowing himself to be pulled up into the Knightmare Frame. He settled into the cockpit, automatically going through the motions of the pre-flight check, his mind still on what Bismarck had told him.

Bismarck wouldn't lie about something like that, he had no reason to, and Gino had never seen the man even attempt to joke around with the rest of them. But no person that Gino had heard off could rip people apart with their hands, there had to be something used to help.

He froze part of the way through the motion of imputing the code into the Knightmare. That rumor about Suzaku would now have a strong support behind it because of this, if it ever got out. The Eleven was already thought a spy. It wouldn't be too far of a leap to think that he would murder Euphemia. Gino shuddered, quickly imputing the code before forcing a smile on his face.

It was a simple enough matter to figure out, he just had to talk to Suzaku for a while and become friends with him. He had been meaning to for a while, the Eleven often looked like he was unhappy about something and it was Gino's job to make sure that the morale of the Knights of the Round remained high. It was a self appointed job and an excuse to be able to joke around all the time, but it was entertaining. And, he was the only one who could make the usually stern Nonette laugh.

That would be his task when he returned to Area 11, make Suzaku happier. And he would bring Anya along too. The girl spent too much time cooped up in her room, reviewing her diary in the fear that she might forget something important. Maybe getting out more often would help her memory problem. And she was the only Knight of the Round that Gino was sure wouldn't try to kill Suzaku on sight. Monica was more easy going that the rest of them, but even that was pushing it.

Gino nodded to himself, idly running his fingers over the buttons on the console as he waited for the others to check in, annoyed by the delay. If this was just a normal return mission, then he would have been allowed to leave by now. Instead, Bismarck insisted that they remain together, to provide some sort of show of strength. Gino understood that it would help the Britannian Empire to see the Knights of the Round together, but it didn't get them to where they were really needed to be any faster. Still, orders were orders and he couldn't disobey the Knight of One.

He sighed and settled back into his seat, drumming his fingers against the nearest hard surface as he waited. At this rate they could have stayed for the funeral, he would have liked to have the chance to bid Princess Euphemia and Raleigh good-bye. The emperor was in good hands with the Knight of Seven. If the Eleven had wanted to kill Lelouch, then he would have done it already, especially with the JLF falling to pieces.

Gino sat upright as the orders came to move out, smiling as he activated the transformation sequence, letting the others get ahead of him as the Tristan shifted into its jet form. He would be allowed this one moment of playfulness. Bismarck would yell at him for anything else, and it would be a waste of the Knightmare Frame's energy. He gave a disappointed sigh, glaring at the control panel before turning the radio off. For the time being, he didn't want to listen to the discussion of the rumors. There were more important things to plan, like how to befriend Suzaku Kururugi.

* * *

 _September 25, 2017_

Lelouch took a step back from Suzaku, watching the knight squirm in an attempt to settle his cape more comfortably around his shoulder. Lelouch just glared at him, waiting for Suzaku to stop before allowing his expressing to soften into a smile. "It looks good there."

"It's choking me."

"You can move it as soon as we're done." Lelouch reached out to pat Suzaku on the top of the head, watching the knight shake his head like a dog. He allowed himself to smile for a moment before turning around. He didn't have time to be fawning over Suzaku, there were too many things that required his attention today, first and foremost being the fact that Euphemia and Raleigh were being buried today. The announcement had to be made before either of them were lowered into the ground, while the people were still grieving.

After that he would have to meet the Knights of the Round when they arrived, to make up for leaving them behind and to show that he had come to no harm. There was no doubt in his mind that they were already on edge because he was alone in Area 11 with only Suzaku to guard him. This at least would show them that he was perfectly fine alone with Suzaku while not openly declaring the Knight of Seven as his favorite. It was too early to be showing his hand like that.

Lelouch sighed, letting his shoulders slump. He reached out to catch the swath of fabric that slipped over his shoulder at that, surprised when Suzaku beat him to it. He allowed the knight to gently push the fabric back into place, turning the move into a caress. Lelouch glanced up at him, finding himself unable to reprimand Suzaku for his actions. The familiar prickle of annoyance at being touched with out his permission was starting to come back, but he was more willing to allow Suzaku to cross the line or at least more willing to allow Suzaku more opportunities to touch him.

"Stop."

Suzaku looked up at him, immediately taking a few steps back and looking down. "My apologies, your highness."

Lelouch nodded, disobeying his own order by reaching out and gently brushing the tips of his fingers over Suzaku's cheek. "Try not to get too close. It's fine when we're alone and safe, but nowhere else."

"Understood." Suzaku gave him a soft smile. "You can't be seen favoring an Eleven."

Something in Lelouch's gut twisted at that, Lelouch deciding to ignore it for the time being. He would be proving Suzaku wrong rather quickly anyway, and probably using methods that Suzaku would hate. But they didn't have the time to discuss if Lelouch was going about this the right way, he just knew that it would work. Suzaku could yell at him all he wanted in the privacy of their room.

He let his hand drop back to his side, Suzaku automatically stepping out of his way as Lelouch walked towards where the camera were set up. One day ago he had stood there an announced that his sister was dead before stumbling out to watch her body being loaded onto the plane. He wouldn't even be there for her funeral, but that was his fault. He had to be sure that everything that she had worked for and everything that she wanted would happen. And he still had to find a successor to the throne, someone who would look after the world that he would leave behind.

He stepped out onto the small stage, Suzaku the appropriate distance behind him. A single glance at the cameras showed that they were ready, Lelouch steadying himself as he stood in the center of the stage. He couldn't fall apart this time. Last time it had been acceptable because Euphemia was his sister. Now, he had to make a show of strength, just to assure people that Britannia wasn't going to fall just because she had lost another princess. Britannia had survived the loss of princesses and princes before, but Lelouch doubted that any of them had been as well loved as Euphemia.

It was a simple enough task in the end, he just had to provide the proper introduction to the people who would speak on behalf of his deceased sister since he couldn't be there himself. And then, he would speak about her murderer.

Lelouch turned his attention away from his thoughts as he was signaled that the cameras were rolling. A single glance back over his shoulder showed that Suzaku was standing nearby, Lelouch hesitating before waving him back out of the way. Suddenly, he didn't want Suzaku to be seen standing near him for this.

He dropped his hand back to his side when the cameras started rolling. Lelouch didn't bother with a smirk or a smile, just waiting for the signal that the broadcast had been started, all the while scrambling for a tactful way to speak about Sir Raleigh, only to decide that it didn't matter. Raleigh was part of the nobility of Britannia, and their opinions didn't matter anymore, especially when they were about to be pushed out of power.

And that was the true purpose of this announcement, to serve as a warning to the nobles, that one of their own had dared to harm a member of the royal family and the whole world would know it.

Lelouch raised his eyes from the floor, making sure to act like he was still in shock as he spoke, not that it took much acting. "I know I am somewhat remise in my duties as a brother by not appearing at my own sister's funeral. But I remain in Area 11 to make sure that the Elevens that she cared for would not become victims to the JLF's treachery and anger. In her memory I will strive to make Area 11 a better place, to make up for all the times that the throne took me away from her."

He allowed himself a fond smile at this, Lelouch suddenly unsure how much was him acting and how much of this was actually real. "And so, I'll proceed in the way that she would have wished to be remembered, for the people themselves to talk about her and all that she had done. Because, if there was anyone that Princess Euphemia loved more than her family, it was the people of the Britannian empire.

"There is one final matter that I wish to speak on, the circumstances of my sister's death. It is customary for the bodies of royalty to rest in their open casket for a day before they are buried, but Euphemia is best remembered the way she was in life as she was completely destroyed in death. And it was not by a member of the JLF. Princess Euphemia was murdered by Sir Albert Raleigh, the former Knight of Five. It is a traitorous move that I will ensure that he will always be remembered for."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes before turning around and walking off the stage, listening to the camera crews fumble to shut off the feed. There was much more that he wanted to say, but that would have required him to step out of his persona as a tyrant, and he wasn't willing to go that far quite yet. Besides, he didn't need to defame Raleigh on a live broadcast, the people would do it themselves.

He swept out into the hallway, Suzaku following the correct distance behind him as they made it down to where the Knights of the Round were waiting. Or at least Lelouch hoped that they were waiting. He had messed up once when he had failed to meet them when they had returned from Area 18 but, then again, there had been an excuse. There was no excuse this time, it would be a slight that he could allow, especially after announcing that one of their members was responsible for the death of Euphemia.

Lelouch stepped out of the building and into the sunlight, turning his head to look for the Knights of the Round. He had received the news via Jeremiah that they had arrived just before he had gone to make his announcement. They should have still been waiting out here.

"Your highness?" Lelouch turned as Suzaku rested a hand on his shoulder, slumping as the tension drained out of him. He reached up to rest his hand over Suzaku's, surprised when the knight moved away. "The Rounds are waiting over there, your highness."

Lelouch turned in the direction that Suzaku had indicated, his eyes widening in surprised when he realized that he had missed them. He shook his head, trying to clear it before walking towards the group. Apparently he was still recovering from Euphemia's death, something that he should have gotten over by now. He had already lost a mother and killed his own father, there was something in there that should have gotten him used to this, but apparently that hadn't been enough.

He sighed and walked over towards where the Knights of the Round were climbing out of their Knightmares, making sure to keep looking the part of the emperor. It was already looking like he would have to retreat to his room after this and organize his thoughts. There was plenty of time between now and when he had to start implementing his new laws, giving about a week or two to put time between them and Euphemia's funeral.

"Your majesty." Lelouch nodded as Bismarck bowed, not missing the glance that the Knight of One threw back at Suzaku. "I am glad to find you in good health."

"And here I expected to be asked to seriously consider never leaving you behind again." Lelouch forced himself to laugh, glancing back at Suzaku. "But I had two Rounds in Area 11."

He saw Bismarck's jaw twitch, glad that the man refrained from mentioning Euphemia. Lelouch smirked and took a step back. "Welcome home, my knights. Make yourself comfortable, we may be here for a while."

"A while?"

"I have to finish what Euphemia started, in her memory. I don't see why the Elevens can't live a little more comfortably."

"But, your highness-"

"They are still Numbers in the end, so it won't be too comfortably. We can't have them thinking that they are equal to us." It made Lelouch sick to watch the look of relief cross Bismarck's face. How easy it was for them to forget that he and Nunnally had lived with these people for a year before his father had attacked. All it took was for Lelouch to keep implementing laws that Charles would have liked and he won the support of the Britannian people. That was another law that he would have to implement soon, he was sick of calling people by numbers instead of their country's name. "I'm sure you're tired from your long flight over."

"Yes, your highness."

"And Lloyd has been complaining about how we all left too soon for him to finish the upgrades on the float systems."

Bismarck stood up slowly, looking uneasy at that. "You allow him too much, your highness."

"He's a harmless scientist and a genius. It's not too much at all." Lelouch turned around, motioning for Suzaku to follow him as he made his way back to the administrative building, aware of the gazes of the Rounds on his back.

"Suzaku," the knight made a soft noise to show that he was listening, "try to avoid me for a while."

"Lelouch?"

"We don't want suspicion falling on you." Lelouch turning his head so he could get a glimpse of Suzaku's blue cape as he walked. "Euphy equated you with the JLF when she presented you to the people. Stay close to Britannians and the Knights of the Round as best can for the next two weeks. The people will forget soon enough."

"I don't think-"

"That this is a good idea? It might not be, but you need to appear as if you aren't my favorite." Lelouch heard Suzaku scoff, both of them aware of how late this was coming. Until the empire had calmed, Suzaku was better off not being seen in the limelight, but easily tracked. "Spend time with Lloyd, he's been complaining that I'm keeping you away."

"Yes, your highness."

"And try to be subtle when you sneak into my room." Lelouch didn't need to look behind him to see the look of shock on Suzaku's face. He smiled to himself, turning his head a bit more so he could see a glimpse of Suzaku. "You have nowhere else to sleep, and putting you with the Knights of the Round while unconscious would be a fatal mistake."

"Lelouch, you just told me to stay away from you."

"Yes, for your own safety, when everyone can see you. But I'm going to deny myself the pleasure of seeing my favorite for weeks on end."

"I'm your favorite?" Lelouch chuckled at the confusion, slowing so that Suzaku could walk beside him. It took the knight a moment to accept the invitation, Lelouch glad that Suzaku was being so cautious. He fell into step beside Lelouch, remaining silent for a moment before glancing over at him. "Is that because I slept with you?"

Lelouch scoffed, shaking his head. That was only part of the equation, the only part that he and Suzaku were sure about. "If I wanted to have sex with someone, you wouldn't have been my first choice."

Because it was true. Suzaku was an Eleven, he was supposed to be an inferior being. The way that Lelouch was acting around him would just raise suspicions about the knight. That and Suzaku was too close to him. Lelouch had wanted to just have Nunnally and Euphemia close to him, it was only a few people, so he wouldn't have to worry about those that he was closest to being used against him.

"Thanks."

"I don't mean it like that. I would have chosen a stranger, a Britannian stranger, because it would have been safer." Lelouch glanced over at him again. "You're my favorite for other reasons."

"And what are they?"

Lelouch made sure to hold Suzaku's gaze as he spoke. "I can't tell you. I might be able to tell you later, though."

Suzaku's mouth dropped open, the knight staring at him in shock before frowning. "That's a bit petty, Lelouch."

"You're not the only one who's allowed to keep secrets." Lelouch stopped, giving the hall a quick look over before pulling Suzaku close, feeling the knight jerk in surprise. He pressed a quick kiss to Suzaku's lips, unwilling to let it go on for too long, someone could come down the hall. And then there was the fact that Suzaku was getting very good at kissing. "I'll see you tonight."

He pulled back, allowing his hand to longer on Suzaku's cheek against his better judgment. Suzaku smiled at him and tipped his head to the side, pressing his cheek against Lelouch's hand before turning and walking away. Lelouch watched him for a moment before forcing himself to start moving. There were so many things to do, and he didn't need the distraction that Suzaku posed. Although it was probably too late for that. Suzaku distracted him whether or not the knight was around.


	14. Chapter 14

** Chapter Fourteen **

_October 1, 2017_

Kallen clasped her hands behind her back just to have something to do with them, shifting behind the chair that Ohgi was sitting in. She tried to find a position that didn't feel so stiff and cramped, quickly giving up. Her presence here was just to serve as intimidation; she wasn't part of the group that was now running the JLF. No, they were the Black Knights again, the largest resistance group still present passing their name on to the now defunct JLF.

She looked around the small room, spotting the leaders from the other resistance groups that had joined with them with the JLF had collapsed after the death of Katase and the others. Kallen clenched her hands into fists at the thought. Those traitorous Britannians, hinting at equality before pulling it away from them. They had even offered one of their own as bait, the emperor giving the orders to have Princess Euphemia killed before killing the man who had done the deed.

Kallen had to wonder, after all that had happened, how their knight was still alive after all of this. The emperor was probably biding his time before getting rid of Suzaku, with the way that relations were between their nation and Britannia, the emperor was probably going to make it look like an accident.

That still left them in danger, whether or not Suzaku stayed a member of the Knights of the Round. It was a matter of time before Lelouch came after them, since they were obviously disorganized. Now would be the time to wipe them out, then Japan would have no one left to fight for her. Kallen shivered at that thought, reluctantly raising her eyes to the screen.

It was the reason that they had kept Cornelia with them, she was too brilliant a field commander to lose. And it was the reason that they were going to contact Prince Schneizel and try to assess his willingness to help them. Or the new commanders of the Black Knights were, she was just there to led support and look intimidating.

Kallen glanced down the row of chairs again before taking a deep breath to calm herself. She hadn't been present during the meetings when the heads of all the resistance groups had decided to do this, or else she would have vehemently protested it. They had trusted Britannia once and it had betrayed them. But she could see that it was their only chance at survival, as weak as they were. Their other attempts to contact the leaders from other countries had been met with refusals, they were all scared of the emperor despite the fact that he hadn't made a move since Euphemia had died.

The screen flickered, Kallen looking up from her study of the floor to see Prince Schneizel sitting back in his chair. She watched as his eyes widened a fraction, not missing the quick glance over at Cornelia before he relaxed a fraction. He pressed his fingers together, staring at them steadily. "What is the reason for this call?"

Ohgi was the one to lean forward and speak. Somehow, he had gotten himself voted the leader of this resistance, something that Kallen could tell that he wasn't comfortable with. But he had an excellent staff under him, that much Kallen knew from word of mouth and battle experience. She watched her friend carefully as he fumbled for words for a moment before clearing his throat.

"I'm sure you are aware of our circumstances. The JLF is no longer in existence after what happened at the stadium."

"I am aware." Schneizel hesitated for a moment. "I'm also aware that you are being blamed for Euphemia's death."

"We weren't part of that. We agreed that we were willing to help her in any way possible."

"I thought so." Schneizel sat back with a sigh, his gaze flicking over to Cornelia again. "So it really was Lelouch that ordered her death. Surprising. She was one of his favorite sisters." Schneizel stared off to the side for a moment before shaking his head. "I take it you called to ask me a favor. I see that Cornelia is here of her own free will, so it can't be for hostage demands."

"No." Ohgi shook his head, resting his hands on his knees. "We're asking if we still have your support."

"What little there is of it?"

"Whatever you've got, we're happy to have."

Schneizel hummed to himself, Kallen feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise as he leaned forward. They had gotten him interested, which was good, but it was enough to set her on edge. It was all too easy to imagine this man in Lelouch's place.

"As of now, I am still cornered. The EU isn't going to extend any help that will look like a threat."

"We just want a promise for help if we call on you." Ohgi chuckled. "Our grand plan is to sit back and wait for our numbers to grow again or for the emperor to make a stupid mistake."

"Lelouch wouldn't, not now."

"We know. It's what we're counting on. We're also hoping that he will forget about us after the defeat, since the JLF was officially ceased to be."

Schneizel seemed amused by that. "That would be a stretch for him."

Ohgi shifted in his seat, glancing at the other leaders only to be motioned onward. Kallen swallowed harshly and tried not to glare at them. This was their organization too, their time to talk with their only ally, if they could call Schneizel that. No wonder they had been absorbed into the JLF so early on, they had no spines.

"Well, there is the Knight of Seven."

Schneizel's eyebrows rose. "The Eleven knight."

"Yes. There has to be some way to contact him and bring him to our side. He was helping Euphemia after all." Ohgi shifted in his seat. "I'm not saying that we get him to switch sides, but he could at least help our cause."

Schneizel just stared at them. Kallen felt her hand begin to stray down to her belt before she remembered that she didn't have a gun. Ohgi had taken it away from her saying that this wasn't meant to be a show of force, it was a peaceful talk. It wasn't like she would actually be able to hit him through the screen.

Kallen bit back a curse, shifting her weight again and dropping her gaze to the floor. This was going to turn out to be a dud too, she could feel it. Schneizel was too busy dodging around them and pointing out holes in their plans to answer their questions. The call was going to end any moment now and they would be stuck again.

She looked up at Schneizel cleared his throat, shuffling through papers that were out of their line of sight. "How content would you be with waiting for about a year?"

"W-what?"

"I believe that your group is the best way to expel my little brother from the throne, seeing as you are the closet to him at the moment and have managed to get someone into his inner circle…if it can be called that." Schneizel leaned back in his chair again, holding a blueprint up to the camera. "The details of this are irrelevant at the moment, but I have something that may be useful in forcing Lelouch to a standstill."

"What is it?"

"A weapon, one that I hesitate to use." Schneizel let the blueprint drop into his lap. "But, with a simple test example, it would be enough to make Lelouch hesitate to fight us. Of course, this test would be carried out in some deserted area, but it would be enough to show the weapon's power. Then we issue our demands after airing the footage."

"And if that doesn't work?" Kallen couldn't stop herself from speaking out. Schneizel turned his attention to her, raising an eyebrow before shrugging.

"Then we force him to accept our demands. In a year your forces and weaponry should return to its old standard, especially with the help you are receiving from India at this time. It'll be an impressive display to Lelouch, who only has the troops that he has in Area 11 to work with. If we move fast enough on that day, he won't call for reinforcements." Schneizel sat back, obviously done outlining his plan.

Kallen glanced down at the leaders of the Black Knights, watching as all of them nodded slowly. She supposed that there was nothing else they could do, none of the other countries had even dared to try and speak to them for this long. And, as much as she hated to admit it, Schneizel's plan sounded solid compared to their own plans where they just muddled along and hoped the emperor didn't look their way because those weren't actually plans. But she hated the idea of becoming dependant on a Britannian for their plan to succeeded; they had done that once and it had turned out badly.

She turned out the conversation between Ohgi and Schneizel as they cemented the deal, sparing a second to glare at Cornelia before looking towards the door. What she really wanted to do right now was work in the hangar with the rest of the pilots, trying to salvage what they could from the ruined Knightmares that had limped back to their base at Narita and repair the Knightmares that they still had left. As soon as the Knightmares were checked for travel, they were moved to their new base. As long as Lelouch gave them time, they would take advantage of it.

There were at least twelve more Knightmares to work on before the rest of the scrap that they had saved would be sent off, and then they would have to wait for their support from India to return to even begin to get the upgrades that they needed.

Kallen bit back a ground, clenching her hands again. Thankfully that was the area that she was in charge of, the Knightmares, didn't require the careful touch that diplomacy did. And, frankly, it just gave her a headache. She would much rather be on the field than sitting in here listening to Ohgi agree to a plan that they would all just argue over the next day at lunch, which meant that she would be there to listen to it.

"-we shall see. In about a year then." She looked up as the screen turned off, blinking as she realized that she had missed the entire last half of the conversation. Kallen flinched, taking a step back as Ohgi stood up, reaching forward to rest a hand on his chair.

He turned back to look at her, raising an eyebrow before stretching. "Well, that's settled."

"So, he'll help us."

"If we manage not to do anything stupid." Ohgi sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not cut out for this."

"You're better at it than I am." That got a smile from him, Ohgi lowering his hand and looking at the other people in the room.

"How do we stand?"

"Most of the Knightmares are gone along with a fraction of the scraps, we're still working on repairing some." Kallen did a quick calculation in her head and winced. "But that might take weeks."

"We can't be here that long."

"I know, Ohgi, but we need every weapon that we have." Kallen bit her lip. "I'm hoping that the emperor stays distracted."

He stared at her for a moment before nodding. "We should try to contact our Knight of the Round."

"That's impossible." Everyone turned to look at Cornelia, the princess slowly rising from her chair. "He won't have access to a means of communication that we can speak to him through unless we get a private line to his Knightmare. Most likely, he's with the rest of the Knights of the Round in their common rooms, which would be a horrible time to contact him."

Kallen groaned. "So we're giving him up as a lost cause?"

"For now." Cornelia raised one shoulder in a shrug. "It's the best we can do. My advice is to focus on leaving this place since Lelouch knows where it is."

"I second it." Todoh nodded his head in agreement.

Kallen barely listened to the murmurs of assent from the rest of the leaders, already turning to leave the room. If they wanted to get out faster, then she would return to the hangar and go back to helping the mechanics. Ohgi could handle himself with these people. He would tell her about the plan as soon as it was all figured out. Then she would have to wait for Cornelia to add her input to their ideas, their last check before going up against Lelouch, not that it had helped them before.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes and walked down the deserted corridors. Everyone else was probably already at their other headquarters, setting up there. Hopefully, the Indian mechanics would be there as well, probably insulting their attempts to repair the Knightmare Frames. It didn't matter though, at least they would be there. And they would be ready to go whether or not

they had a year or not. She wasn't sure of how far she could trust Schneizel's offer of a weapon, but at least it was something.

Now it looked like they had a chance to win.

* * *

 _October 11, 2017_

"Suzaku!"

He jumped at the sound of his name, digging in the toolbox for the requested tool before passing it to Cecile, blushing when he realized that he had allowed his mind to wander. He ducked his head, allowing his bangs to fall in front of his eyes to try and hide the blush.

Of course, Lloyd spotted it, the scientist chuckling. "Thinking about a certain someone, are we?"

"Uh…"

"A certain someone?" Cecile pulled herself out from the interior of the time machine, stretching out her back before turning to look at Suzaku. She blinked quickly before offering him a shy smile. "Was there someone back in your own time?"

"N-no. There was no one." He played with a screwdriver just to have something to do with his hands. "I was busy with school and getting home so I could cook dinner-"

"There is a God. Ow!" Lloyd rubbed the side of his head, glaring at Cecile.

Cecile looked completely innocent, holding out a hand for the wrench to replace the one that she had thrown at Lloyd. "Go on, Suzaku."

He glanced at Lloyd before leaning back on his hands, allowing himself to smile. "I was just busy with school, the Student Council, what I'm going to do when I get out of school…" He trailed off, staring at the wall before shaking his head and forcing a smile on his face. "I just haven't had the chance."

Cecile seemed satisfied with his answer, but Lloyd was still staring at him. Suzaku fully intended to ignore the scientist when Lloyd laughed. He turned to look at the man, Lloyd leaning on the wall with one arm wrapped around his stomach. Suzaku tipped his head to the side, waiting for Lloyd to stop laughing, trying to fight back the jolt of fear that ran through him.

Lloyd was always too caught up in his work to notice anything, especially something as uninteresting as human relationships.

Suzaku felt his stomach drop as Lloyd stopped laughing and leaned forward. "So the rumors are true."

"W-what rumors?"

Lloyd smirked at him. "That the emperor has a taste for a certain Eleven. Ow!"

The remark had earned Lloyd another tool thrown at his head, Suzaku remaining tensed on the floor with his eyes wide. How could someone as oblivious as Lloyd figure that out? Even more pressing, what exactly were the rumors that were spreading? Suzaku was trying to be as discrete as possible whenever he returned to the administrative building, and Lelouch had been ignoring him in public as per his orders.

Cecile must have seen the look of shock on his face, because she knelt down and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, they're not as bad as Lloyd makes them out to be."

"What are they?"

She stared at him for a moment before squeezing his shoulder and taking the screwdriver out of his hands. Cecile ducked back into the time machine, rooting around for something before stepping out again and leaning on the car. "Well, everyone noticed that you and the emperor were close before, even before you were made a Knight of the Round." Cecile blushed. "Actually the rumor was that you slept your way into that position until Euphemia pulled your forward. Then it changed."

Suzaku swallowed at the mention of Euphemia, his thoughts going immediately to Lelouch before he shook his head. "What did it change to?"

"That you were sleeping with the princess instead of with the emperor." Lloyd ducked when Cecile made a motion like she was going to throw something at him. He peered out from under his raised hands with a frown. "It's not like he already didn't know."

"Uh…"

"You didn't?" Lloyd straightened up and laughed again, scampering behind the computer they had in the room as Cecile threatened him again.

Cecile glared at Lloyd for a while more before turning to look at Suzaku. "We thought you knew."

"No. I've been keeping myself close to this building. I don't actually want to go out into the city, just in case I accidentally do something that will change all of this." Suzaku made a vague gesture with his hand. "Besides, it's probably not the best thing to go wandering around on my own, being an Eleven."

Cecile nodded slowly. Suzaku stared at her for a moment before shrugging and getting up, wiping off his pants. "Besides, I'll be going back in about a year, so what does it matter? I can't really get attached to anything here." Suzaku managed to force a laugh out. "And I'll be back with you two, so I'll be fine. It'll be fine."

Lloyd snorted from his corner. "It won't be, my precious Lancelot will be decommissioned." He scurried out of the room when Cecile threatened him again.

Suzaku shook his head, turning to follow him when Cecile rested a hand on his shoulder. The slight squeeze told him to stay, Suzaku settling in place. Cecile circled around him. "Suzaku, is there someone?"

For a moment, he considered telling her the truth, but that could be dangerous. And Lelouch had never told him that he could talk about their relationship. Then again, there wasn't any hint that he couldn't talk about it. Suzaku was still at a loss on how to handle himself around the emperor. So he just smiled brightly at Cecile and shook his head. "Of course not. I'm a bit too focused on getting home to either bother. Besides, how weird would that be?"

Cecile laughed with him, patting him on his shoulder before letting go. "Well, then I should get back to work. Oh, and before you leave for the day, find Lloyd's list for the upgrades for the Lancelot and emphasize the fact that he needs to put an ejection system in that Knightmare."

"I will" He waved at her, not sure if she had even seen it. She had turned her full attention to the car again, probably working through the more mundane repair work. Lloyd had the tendency to get bored once the exciting stuff was done, unless Cecile pretended to make a mess of things. Then again, that might have been a trick she learned from working for him here. Suzaku would never know.

He shrugged to himself as he stepped out of the door, letting it slide shut behind him before looking around the hangar. He had a while before dinner and nothing to do around here. The Lancelot wasn't going to be Lloyd's primary focus for a while, the scientist busy looking over the Mordred, Galahad and Caradoc to work about the Lancelot. The three Knights of the Round Knightmares took precedence at the moment, if only because the advanced float systems were being installed.

Suzaku shook his head and climbed up to the platform where the computers were, surprised that he didn't find Lloyd on the other side. He supposed that the man was probably fiddling with one of the Knightmares. Just to be sure, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. "Lloyd?"

There was no answer, Suzaku tipping his head to the side. Where could Lloyd have gotten to?

He turned, about to go to the break room and ask one of the other people who worked under Lloyd when he heard a familiar laugh from the door. "So this is where you've been hiding."

Suzaku nearly stepped off the platform, reaching out to cling to the railing. He waited a moment to get his balance back before turning to stare at Gino as he ambled into the hangar. The Knight of Three smiled and waved at him, looking surprisingly out of place in casual clothes. "Personally I don't blame you. The common room is not a good place to be right now."

"Sir Weinberg!"

"Call me Gino." Gino stuck out his hand for Suzaku to shake, Suzaku hesitating for a moment before walking down from the platform and taking the offered hand. He was surprised by Gino's firm grip and enthusiastic shake. "Really, we don't need to be formal."

Suzaku broke the handshake, staring at his hand before raising an eyebrow. "I'm just an Eleven."

"Well, soon that will just be a technicality." Gino threw his arm around Suzaku's shoulder, Suzaku surprised by the move. He found himself pressed up against Gino's side, twisting to try and get out of the hold. "With the way things are moving, you never know. You might be able to call yourself Japanese again."

"Sir-Gino, that's impossible."

"Why not? You've already got equal rights as Britannians as of yesterday. I looks like his majesty is abiding by his promise to finish what Princess Euphemia started."

"She would have never-"

"Why not?" Gino raised an eyebrow. "She was in love with an Eleven."

"She wasn't." Suzaku managed to get out from under Gino's arm, straightening out his uniform. "She really wasn't. His majesty just asked me to stay by her side to protect her, no other reason."

Gino continued to smirk at him, Suzaku shifting uncomfortably before clearing his throat. "I-I have to go, the emperor requested that I guard Nunnally to relieve Lord Jeremiah."

"He still trusts you after what happened to Euphemia?"

Suzaku tensed at that. "I did nothing wrong. I was not at fault."

"Of course not." He was surprised, Gino actually sounded like he meant it. "I shouldn't have said that, it was going too far." Suzaku turned around to see Gino scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that Raleigh did it, of all the people. He was devoted to her."

Suzaku could only shrug. He had never asked about Euphemia's lover, nor did he want to now. Lelouch seemed fine enough, but Suzaku hadn't really seen him actively mourn his half sister. But that was a question to put to Nunnally when he saw her again.

"Hey. Listen, I'm really sorry for that comment, it was out of line."

"Don't worry about it." Suzaku smile at Gino, waving him off. "I'm sure it's just the rumors talking."

"Let me make it up to you."

"You don't have to." Suzaku was pulled back against Gino, struggling for a moment before giving up. It seemed like the best way to deal with Gino was to just allow him to have his way.

Gino smiled down at him. "Of course I do, I managed to insult your heritage and your honor within five minutes. I'm surprised you haven't challenged me to a duel."

"Gino…"

"My mother would be so disappointed with me if I found out." Suzaku had to laugh at the melodramatic sigh that Gino gave. "Please, say you forgive me."

"Fine. You can make it up to me."

"Great." Gino bounced on his toes for a moment before calming down. "When are you free?"

Suzaku thought back over Lelouch's agreement, trying not to flinch as he answered. "Most of the time actually."

"Ah," Gino nodded slowly. "Well then, I'll see if I can save you from your boredom."

He slapped Suzaku on the back before walking out of the hangar.

Suzaku stared after him for a moment, shaking his head before heading for the door. Lelouch had said nothing about avoiding the Knights of the Round, although Suzaku could figure out for himself that he was not welcome among them. He was an Eleven who had entered their sacred ranks, not even their leader had given his blessing to Suzaku's knighting. But Gino seemed to be honestly trying to get on his good side. And, from what he had seen of the man, Gino was the most likely candidate to actually try and talk to him. It wouldn't be too bad to hang out with Gino; it was probably better than loitering in the hangar all day.

He crossed the open space between the hangar and the administrative building, automatically rolling his shoulders forward and trying to look as small as possible. This was the part of the day that he hated the most, crossing from one safe place to another. No one had actually tried to hurt him, and he usually crossed it during the times when the yard was deserted, but he couldn't help feeling nervous.

He had been close to Euphemia, at least to the public's eye, it was only a matter of time before the suspicion turned on him again. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that they would ignore him for that long.

Suzaku reached the safety of the building, taking an elevator up to the floor where Lelouch's study and bedroom were. He had to drag Lelouch away from whatever the emperor was working on before they could join Nunnally for dinner. If he didn't, then Lelouch would forget to eat again. Suzaku shook his head at that, stepping out of the elevator. He didn't know when his duty as a Knight of the Round also included being the emperor's babysitter, but he found that he didn't mind it. It was more time to spend around Lelouch.

Which was a bad thing, he had to keep reminding himself about that. It was a bad thing to want to spend more time around Lelouch because then he might actually get too attached to him. Suzaku was alright with their arrangement now, he got to sleep someone other than the couch and, for some reason, having someone to hold for part of the night relaxed him. Of course, the sex wasn't bad either.

Suzaku blushed, ducking his head in an attempt to hide the blush that crept up on his cheeks. It was just easier not to think about it in the end, because he just ended up blushing and remembering all the little things that Lelouch would do that would turn him on. Like when Lelouch would let his fingers linger on Suzaku's face for a moment too long, and Suzaku just wanted to turn his head and pull those fingers into his mouth.

He shook his head, trying to banish those thoughts from his mind. They were going to have dinner with Nunnally. He couldn't stand in her presence and keep thinking about how much he wanted to pound Lelouch into the nearest flat surface. Suzaku shuddered, clenching his hands into fists to try and calm himself down. Lelouch would kill him if he actually did that in front of Nunnally.

Suzaku waited outside of the door for a while longer, calming himself before keying in the number that would unlock the door. He swallowed as the door slid open, stepping into the room and looking at the desk, unsurprised to see Lelouch bent over a book.

He raised an eyebrow before walking towards the center of the room. Suzaku stopped when Lelouch raised a hand to wave him away. "Not now, Suzaku, I'm onto something."

"Nunnally is waiting for us."

That got Lelouch to look up, the emperor staring at him for a moment before shaking his head. "Just a little bit more."

"Lelouch."

Lelouch flinched at the sound of his name, looking up at Suzaku before standing up slowly, supporting himself on the desk. Suzaku glanced back at the door, making sure it was shut before walking around the desk to stand beside Lelouch. He watched the emperor carefully as Lelouch stared at the book before finally giving in. "Yes. Nunnally is…" Lelouch gave an exhausted sigh and shook his head. "I'm close to being done anyway."

Suzaku glanced at the pieces of paper on the desk, not bothering to read them too closely. "New laws."

"Yes. Ideas that Euphy and I came up with. The first one will be implemented tomorrow."

"What about the approval of the Prime Minister, or the Houses?"

Lelouch laughed at that. "They've been just puppets for the last hundred years. And they won't be getting their power back, at least not while I rule." Lelouch pushed the papers into a stack and then placed the book on top of them. "But I distinctly remember telling you to avoid me."

"But…dinner…"

"I have servants to get me." Lelouch reached out like he was going to touch him before quickly drawing his hand back. Suzaku tipped his head to the side, frowning as he watched Lelouch flex that hand slowly. "It's not the duty of a Knight of the Round to fetch the emperor."

"Does it really matter?"

"For your sake, it does." Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "You can't seem to have any influence on me for both of our sakes. I'm doing this for Euphemia not because the Knight of Seven is my personal favorite, that is the image that I want to preserve."

"Why? I thought you wanted to be hated."

"Yes," Lelouch flinched, "but I have to at least give them the illusion of hope. And everything will be ready when…"

Lelouch trailed off and stared at the wall, Suzaku patiently waiting for the end of that sentence. He was sure that, in Lelouch's mind, Nunnally would be the last candidate for the throne, Lelouch was too protective of his little sister for that. As far as Suzaku knew, there weren't any trusted advisors that Lelouch would be willing to pass the throne off to, which meant that his plan had hit a dead end.

Suzaku cleared his throat, stepping forward. "May I offer my opinion?" The look that Lelouch shot him made Suzaku want to laugh, Suzaku holding back the urge. "What about Lady Nunnally?"

Lelouch tensed at that, as Suzaku thought that he would. He bit his lip, forcing himself to shrug and walk back to the door. "I just think that she would make a wonderful empress."

"No." Lelouch didn't even bother to look at him, Suzaku taking the refusal in stride as he turned toward the door.

Suzaku paused at the door, remembering to bow to Lelouch before he opened the door, smirking to himself as he watched Lelouch's head jerk up in surprise. "I'll see you at dinner then, your majesty."

For a moment, Lelouch looked angry, but then the usual blank expression was back on his face. Suzaku managed to hide his surprise at the moment of anger, turning around to walk out into the hall.

* * *

 _October 17, 2017_

Lelouch rolled over onto his other side, resting his head on Suzaku's shoulder. He slowly allowed his eyes to open, staring at the room over Suzaku's body, staying completely still to make sure that he hadn't woken Suzaku up. When he was completely sure that Suzaku was still asleep, he allowed himself to rest an arm across Suzaku's chest, holding back a sigh of annoyance when he had to slip one of his legs over Suzaku's. It would be easier on him if Suzaku didn't roll onto his back during the night. Then it would be easier to…

Lelouch stopped his train of thought, biting his lip and running his fingers over Suzaku's ribs. He wouldn't say cuddle, because he didn't like cuddling. He would curl up with Nunnally and hold her, but that was because they were family. Suzaku wasn't family, he was just a knight and probably the closest thing to a friend that Lelouch had. Still, he didn't like it when Suzaku would curl up against him because it was cuddling, he liked it because it was comforting, because he felt protected. Somewhere along the line, Suzaku and safe had become synonymous and Suzaku holding him seemed to be the safest place to be.

It was probably why Lelouch had never stopped Suzaku when the knight had rolled him onto his back, never protested that it was Suzaku inside of him instead of the other way around. Caged by Suzaku's arms and surrounded by him was probably the most comforting place that Lelouch had found, save for anywhere around Nunnally. It was why he never protested that a man of his station should never have to be put into this position by a lowly Eleven, ignoring the fact that it felt fantastic. He still couldn't get up the courage to roll Suzaku over and then have his back facing his door for that length of time, his exposed and naked back.

That in itself was selfish. For his own pleasure he was willing for Suzaku to get hurt but not himself. Then again, Lelouch doubted that Suzaku thought like that at all. But that was the difference between them; Suzaku was a Knight of the Round, used to the danger of the battlefield and not the dangers at home. Lelouch had survived two assassination attempts before Suzaku had begun serving him and many close calls. The dangers of the battlefield were so much more straightforward, and Lelouch preferred them. He didn't enjoy having to worry about whether he would turn and corner and find a knife in his gut or wake up to find some assassin smiling down at him before he was shot.

Lelouch shivered and pressed closer to Suzaku, tensing as he heard the knight mumble something. Suzaku didn't move, Lelouch relaxing a fraction and allowing his fingers to start moving again. They explored the edge of an old scar, probably one gotten from the usual childhood accidents as Lelouch allowed his mind to drift.

Perhaps he should have taken Euphemia's advice and snatched Suzaku up as his personal knight. Suzaku would have made the perfect knight, a good pilot and willing to follow orders, no matter how strange they were. Lelouch had already trusted him, contrary to common sense, when he was just a royal guard that he had wanted to fuck; as his personal knight, none of that would have changed. Then he wouldn't have to keep Suzaku away and spend his days with his back pressed firmly against his chair as he worked through the laws that he would have to make. It was hard trying to guess the ramifications of what the piece of legislation would be when every stray noise could be someone sneaking up on him.

He wasn't sure when exactly he had become so nervous and jumpy, especially when the past two assassination attempts had failed. Aside from the week of sheer terror, he had recovered quickly because it was just something that he had to accept. But he was still on edge, expecting someone to come in and try to kill him to avenge his sister's death. That and he was prone to random breakdowns, when he couldn't stop thinking about Euphemia. He didn't remember doing this when his mother had died, but there had been Nunnally to worry about, and then Daiki…

Daiki had been another Nunnally to look after in a way, purposefully dependant on Lelouch despite his family's attempts to keep him away from the two of them. He had let Lelouch choose what they would do and had always attempted to cheer him up, which was probably why Lelouch had escaped from the crushing grief of his mother's death, the burning need for revenge, Daiki had refused to let him linger over it for too long.

If the universe had been kinder, or if Lelouch hadn't been too slow, there might have been a different green-eyed Eleven in his bed. A different man that he was nearly laying on top of now.

And, surprisingly enough, there wasn't any flash of guilt for Daiki's sake or that he was just using Suzaku because he vaguely resembled his childhood friend. It was just a statement of fact without any emotion attached to it, strangely enough.

Lelouch frowned, pressing his cheek against Suzaku's shoulder and staring at the knight's neck. If Daiki had still been alive, would that have been the case? Probably not, he remembered that Daiki had seemed to like girls too much for this to ever have happened. But he was sure that nothing would have changed between the two of them.

He glanced back up at Suzaku's face, feeling the corner of his mouth twitch up into a smile. Still, he found himself preferring Suzaku to his memory of Daiki. While he enjoyed the blind loyalty that his first friend had held for him, Suzaku was something of a challenge.

Lelouch sighed, pushing himself away from Suzaku and sitting upright. He had to leave the room quickly if he wanted a good span of time to be between when he left and Suzaku left. It was impossible to try and hide their affair from the servants and the few people who were allowed on this level, but he could at least make it look like he was only using the Knight of Seven for his own pleasure. Suzaku's position and easy submission to the Britannian rule would make sense then, they would think that it was Suzaku's way of staying alive in a Britannian dominated system. And he could continue to be the fear tyrant.

He went to slide out of bed, freezing as he felt an arm wrap around his waist. "Lelouch?"

"I'm going to the study." He carefully peeled Suzaku's arm from him, stepping out of the bed. "You have to be out doing whatever you do all day."

"A.S.E.E.C." Suzaku responded with a yawn, sitting up in bed and running a hand through his hair.

Lelouch let himself watch for a moment, relishing the time that Suzaku was truly his, body and mind. He gave into the urge to lean over and run a hand through Suzaku's hair, using that to pull the knight into a kiss before sitting up. Suzaku was smiling at him, like he always was after Lelouch kissed him.

He allowed himself to trail his fingers over Suzaku's cheek and down his neck before pushing away from the bed. "Don't make it look like we left the room together."

"Of course." Suzaku rolled out of bed, Lelouch averting his eyes. It would have been so much easier if he could just shut off the part of him that focused on how good Suzaku looked just wearing his boxers. As it was, he could only pretend not to stare as Suzaku stretched before walking over to where his clothes were folded on the couch. Lelouch bit his lip and turned away, focusing on gathering his attire, trying to resist the urge to look back over his shoulder.

It didn't help that Suzaku started talking again.

"Have you made any progress yet?"

Lelouch threw a glare back at Suzaku, regretting the action. His gaze landed on the knight's back as Suzaku was pulling on a long sleeved yellow shirt, Lelouch's mouth going dry as he watched the muscles work.

He quickly cleared his throat when he realized that he was staring. "Yes. I've gone back through the old laws and laid out how the new system would work. I'll admit to borrowing heavily from Britannia's roots, but it'll work. Now all that's left is writing up the laws and then starting the process."

"Process?"

"This will make me extremely unpopular." He heard Suzaku stop, turning around as he continued to pull on the semi-casual clothes he wore when working in his study. The jeweled outfit was only worn for state affairs, it was extremely uncomfortable to wear for long stretches of time. Lelouch reached up to adjust the collar, watching as Suzaku's eyes were drawn to his neck. He smirked as he ran a finger over the bruise there, watching Suzaku's eyes widen as he pulled the collar up to cover it. "I'm only emperor as long as it takes to gather Britannia together and then pull the empire apart. All the Areas will get their freedom as they ratify constitutions or reestablish their own and Britannia's power will shift back to its people. Britannia will be destroyed."

"Because your mother was assassinated?"

Lelouch froze, staring at him with wide eyes. "H-how do you know that?"

Suzaku crossed the room to him, standing at an arms length from him, obviously inviting him to cling if Lelouch needed it. Lelouch raised a hand before bringing it down again. He couldn't pull Suzaku close now, then he would want the knight to stay. The safe feeling that he got around Suzaku was addicting.

He swallowed and took a step back, Suzaku nodding slowly. "It doesn't matter. You don't have to tell me."

"Yes." The word escaped him without his permission. Lelouch swallowed and ducked his head. "For her sake."

"What happened?"

Lelouch shook his head. He couldn't talk about that, it was something that stayed in the family, between him and Nunnally. Only Cornelia and Schneizel knew more, but that was because they had both looked into the assassination before he had taken the throne. And it would stay that way, because it was the one sure way that would stop him in his tracks. It was all too easy to imagine his mother's body splayed out on the stairs.

He jumped as he felt Suzaku's arms wrap around him, Lelouch trying to pull away. "Suzaku."

"I'm sorry." The knight pulled away and Lelouch relaxed. "You just looked like you needed it."

Lelouch made a dismissive hand motion, surprised that he didn't seem to mind. Of course, he still didn't like being touched without his permission, but with Suzaku it wasn't that bad. Or he was getting used to it.

He took another step away, wanting to distance himself from Suzaku. It was time to go, time to leave the safety of his room, the little bubble of peace. Lelouch rubbed his forehead, sure that he would be dealing with a headache by the end of the day. He spared a glance at Suzaku before motioning for the knight to leave first. "Lloyd is probably waiting for you."

"I guess so. There's only so much I can do."

"I'm sure you're very useful. The Knightmare Frames have never been upgraded this fast. You're doing a great service to the empire."

"I live to serve." Suzaku gave a half bow before striding to the door. Lelouch waved him on when Suzaku glanced back at him, holding back his fond smile until Suzaku was gone. He shook his head at his own brand of insanity before flopping back onto his bed, pressing his fingers against the side that Suzaku slept on to feel the warmth there. He would finish getting ready in a moment, he had to wait a while first to at least make an effort to make it appear that they weren't together. It was what the public expected, and he would adhere to their expectations just a little bit longer.

* * *

Suzaku jumped out of the cockpit of the Safir, letting the mechanics rush back in to adjust the seat. The ejection system of the Knight of Eleven's frame had been acting up recently, but everything else was fine, at least from what he could tell. Suzaku stumbled back another step, feeling slightly out of place without his uniform or flight suit on, but Cecile had forbidden him to wear those while he was working for them.

He watched as the two men manhandled the seat back into place, quickly securing it before darting out of the way. They all waited with bated breath only to have the whole apparatus tip to the side, the motion earning a frustrated shout from Lloyd.

"It's still off!"

Suzaku glanced down, watching Lloyd pace the platform below them. He smiled sympathetically before walking forward to help the mechanics removing the seat, the Safir stopping its slow tilt. He took a shaky breath, leaning on the seat and glancing back down at Lloyd as the scientist continued shouting.

"The man who designed this Knightmare was an idiot!"

"Lloyd." Cecile glared at him before looking up at the three of them behind the Knightmare, cupping her hands around her mouth to have her voice carry. "Is there anything we can take out?"

"No, we're down to minimum controls." Suzaku shrugged, ducking under the float system pack that had been installed the last time the Safir had been in the hangar. They were trying to replace that with something a bit more streamlined and more difficult to shoot off. The other three Knightmare Frames that they had done over the first weeks of October had been easy enough, but the Safir was the smallest of all the Knights of the Round's Knightmares and the one that they had to be sure was carefully balanced.

Suzaku drummed his fingers against the railing, leaning out to stare at the front. "What if we moved the Slash Harkens?"

"On it." Cecile was leaning over the computer, probably bringing up a blueprint so they could see what they could change on the Knightmare. "We could probably remove the emitters for the Blaze Luminous system on the other arm, just boost the power to the one on the left arm."

Cecile dropped her voice to talk to Lloyd, Suzaku taking the chance to lean heavily against the railing with a long sigh. They would be at this a while more, but his job was technically done. He had been roped into running diagnostics for each of the Knightmares that they were adjusting, spending the first part of his morning sweating in the cockpits as he learned how to pilot the different Knightmares on the fly. He was sure that his scores weren't the best, but they were just testing the extent of the equipment and attending to the complaints that the Rounds had sent in when their Knightmares had come in for maintenance.

As soon as this week was over, they would be done with the most difficult Knightmare frames and move on to the easier ones, like the Lancelot and the Bors. That and they would be sorting through the pile of scrap metal that was the remains of the Agravain. Lelouch still hadn't given the order to rebuild the Knightmare Frame and Suzaku was sure that the order would never come. A different model would be made to be the Knight of Five's Knightmare, something that didn't remind Lelouch of Euphemia's death.

"Hey Suzaku!" He jumped at the sound of his name, turning his head and staring at the computer platform.

Gino waved eagerly back at him, motioning for him to come down. Suzaku took a look back at the two mechanics before jogging down the stairs to meet the knight. He was prepared for the hearty slap on the back that seemed to be Gino's usual greeting and the arm that was slung around his shoulders. Gino had been doing this since he had come into the A.S.E.E.C hangar six days ago. Sometimes Gino would be content to lend a hand and sometimes Gino would drag him outside, either around the administrative building or into the strip of city around the building.

The arm around his shoulder tightened for a moment before Gino started to lead him away. "You're done for the day, right?"

"Technically…" Suzaku glanced back at Cecile, the woman waving him on with a smile, even as she leaned on Lloyd's chair to keep him from running after the two. Suzaku smiled back at her before turning his attention to Gino. "But they're having trouble with the Safir."

"It looks like Cecile had figured it out. Come on, Suzaku, you're always stuck in here and I always have to come and rescue you."

Suzaku flinched. "I'm not a helpless princess, Gino."

"No. But you're stuck in here most of the time. You need to get outside, enjoy the weather before it gets too bad."

Suzaku wanted to refuse, but the huge smile on Gino's face said that he wouldn't get the chance. He sighed and shook his head, slipping out from under Gino's arm and heading for the door. He ignored the shout of victory from his friend, waiting until Gino had jogged back to his side before speaking. "What's your plan?"

"I don't know." Gino stuck his hands into his pockets, staring at the ceiling as they walked toward the door. "I tried to get Anya to come, but she was having one of her bad days. So maybe next time."

Suzaku shot Gino a quick look, waiting for the knight to explain before letting the subject drop. He was sure that Gino would explain eventually, probably after a day out having fun. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Gino smirked and opened the door. "My plan got as far as get Suzaku out of that hangar. Part two will be coming soon."

"Of course." Suzaku found himself laughing anyway, stretching out his back with a sigh. "I suppose I should thank you for your daring rescue, although I didn't really need it."

"With the Safir listing like it was, I think you did." Gino shook his head. "Sir Woods is lucky to be so thin. I don't know if the Knightmare could take more weight than that."

"It could, but it wouldn't be able to fly."

"He'd be practically useless then." Gino shrugged. "Our only advantage is a consistent float system."

"I wouldn't go that far." Suzaku smirked, turning his head to watch Gino. There was an advantage to having lived with Lloyd. While his own skills concerning technology were almost nonexistent, he knew what to look for and how it should work. But he never thought he would be applying it to a conversation like this and actually enjoying himself. There had been rare moments at Ashford with the other guys, when they were talking about the newest technology but Suzaku had mostly just listened to those conversations, because they would eventually turn to girls, a subject that he had never felt comfortable discussing. But here he was, smiling and twisting sideways to be able to actually talk to Gino, about a subject that he had always avoided before.

Then he had to rein himself, to remind himself that none of this was permanent, and it hurt more to do that than before, because he had a purpose here. Back in the future he felt like he was just drifting, stuck somewhere near the end of high school and the rest of this life, but he knew that he was needed here. He knew exactly what he had to do and that was a relief in some way. But that was ending, he just had to keep telling himself that.

* * *

Gino slipped into the common room later than usual, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing that Anya was there. So the girl had recovered and left her room, that was better than the days where she would just remain shut up for the rest of the time.

He flopped into the nearest chair, resisting the urge to put his feet up on the table. He was still in a good mood from his long conversation with Suzaku earlier. While they hadn't actually gone anywhere, he had still gotten Suzaku out of that hangar. Why Lelouch insisted on keeping Suzaku there was a mystery to him, but it wasn't his place to question the emperor's orders.

Gino tipped his head back and relaxed further into the couch, not even bothering to turn his head towards the door as he heard it open again. He just listened the sound of people entering the room. From the sound of it, most of the knights were coming into the common room. He sighed and turned his head to the side, surprised at the glares that were sent his way. He expected one from Luciano, but the man was insane so he was used to it. What he didn't expect were the glares from the newest members of the Rounds.

He sat up, watching the remainder of the rest of the Knights of the Round trudge in, minus Bismarck. The absence of the Knight of One wasn't a surprise, Bismarck tended to only come into the common room a few days a week.

Gino turned around on the couch, crossing his arms on the backrest and observing the room from there. The usual game of pool was foregone, most of the knights standing on the edge of the room. Gino raised an eyebrow before pushing away from the couch with a laugh. "Come on guys, don't look that way. You should be happy."

"Why?" Gino felt his smile waver as the Knight of Eleven glared at him.

He raised one shoulder in a shrug. "We didn't have to do anything today. Nonette was just complaining that we almost never got downtime."

"The downtime isn't what we're complaining about." Luciano leaned on the pool table, turning one of his knives over in his hand. "It's that Eleven."

"Suzaku?"

Luciano nodded, flipping the knife in his hand before going back to his close study of it. "You're close to him. What does he think about Euphemia?"

Gino froze at that, glancing at the other knights in the room. Apparently, they were all on Luciano's side because none of them would meet his gaze besides Sir Woods. He kept up his smile, forcing himself to laugh and lean back against the couch. "I don't know, we don't really talk about her."

"Well, that's good and a bit disappointing."

"What are you-"

"Do you really expect a murderer to talk about it?" Sir Woods shot them both an incredulous glance before storming out. The Knight of Eight shrugged and rushed after him.

Gino turned to the other knights, expecting some sort of explanation, but they just scattered around the room, settling into their usual pattern. Even Luciano tucked his knife away and went over to sit at the bar, purposefully not looking at Gino. The blond looked over the knights in the room before walking towards the door himself. If they weren't going to talk, then he would leave. There was still a chance that he could find Suzaku and ask if the Eleven knew anything about this.

He slipped out of the common room before the door had completely opened, ready to storm through the halls of the building until he found someone who would bother telling him what was going on. He was so caught up in his plan that he didn't hear the person following him until Anya spoke.

"They're talking about Suzaku."

Gino turned to look at Anya, watching as she played with her electronic diary, probably looking through the pictures that were stored on the device. Gino sighed and leaned against the wall, deciding not to linger over why Anya had chosen to follow him and interrupt her usual routine. "I know that."

"I thought so." Anya hummed a snatch of a tune to herself before frowning. She typed a series of commands into her electronic diary before looking up at Gino again. "Who killed Princess Euphemia?"

Gino blinked, taken aback. "Raleigh."

"That's what Lelouch said." Anya gave her diary a little wave, her way of confirming the fact. If it was in her diary, then it was fact, it was the only secure hold on the world that she had. "But the others don't think so. They said Suzaku did it."

"Why would Suzaku kill the princess? She was the reason that he's here."

Anya shrugged, her attention back on her diary. "Why would Raleigh?"

Gino opened his mouth to answer before snapping it shut. No one knew the answer to that, but everyone knew that Raleigh had been fanatically loyal to the empire. What Euphemia had been doing was against what the empire believe in and Lelouch probably hadn't agreed with it. That alone was enough to justify his actions, but it was not their place as knights to act without the orders of the emperor, and Raleigh would have known that.

Gino ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. He didn't want to get tangled up in motivations right now, he just wanted to know the truth of the matter. "I don't know."

"That makes a lot we don't know." Anya tipped her head to the side, finally looking up at him. "They don't like with the emperor is doing."

"They?" He glanced back to the common room, tensing as he realized what Anya was saying. "It's not our place to judge."

"Of course not. But they talk about it."

Gino's eyes widened as he stared at the electronic device in her hands. "And you write it down."

She gave him a scathing look before nodding. "I might forget."

"Don't let them know."

"Alright." Anya wandered past him down the hall, Gino watching her until she turned the corner.

Thankfully, they were all used to Anya constantly typing away on her diary that they had started to overlook it. Besides, there was no way to tell if she was actually writing the entire conversation or just focusing on how the room looked that day, it depended completely on her mood. That being said, Luciano might choose to eliminate the chances of their treasonous talks being recorded. He now had even more of a reason to keep both Suzaku and Anya away from the Knights of the Round. Reporting to the emperor could wait until they stepped over the line and actually committed treason, just speculating about Euphemia's murderer wasn't enough. But Gino doubted that they would remain content with that topic for much longer.

He turned to follow after Anya. He would make sure that she reached her room safely and try to convince her to lock her door. Luciano was the only danger at the moment, and would remain that way until he managed to convince the other Rounds that he was right. And, with the rumors that Gino had been hearing, that wouldn't take too long.

* * *

 _October 30, 2017_

Suzaku ducked his head as another group of people walked past, glaring at him. He was partially used to the glares that were being sent his way, most of them from his very presence in the Knights of the Round. But the glares had increased since Lelouch had started putting his new laws into action. Most Britannians didn't agree with the idea for more rights for Elevens, so much so that Lelouch had forbidden him from leaving the grounds of the administration building for three days after those laws had been passed.

Perhaps he should have attempted to go into the ghettos on his first day outside of the administrative building after the passage of those laws. He would have been more welcome there, but neither Anya nor Gino would have. Even with the completion of Euphemia's laws, the common people didn't trust Lelouch, especially not after the rumors had begun circulating.

Gino had confronted him on those rumors multiple times, Suzaku surprised by how much the Knight of Three begged him to do something about them. Suzaku didn't see how he could change them. The Britannians had loved Raleigh as one of their own and were as shocked by his sudden turn around as the rest of the world. So it was just logical that they would turn their hatred to Suzaku; they had already though that he had gotten knighted because he had slept with Euphemia. There was nothing he could do to change their minds, not without any evidence. And he certainly didn't want them suspect any other relations with any other royals.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, tucking his hands back into the pocket of his sweatshirt. "What's the plan, Gino?"

"Get away."

Suzaku nodded, that had been Gino's plan for a while now, just keep the two of them away from the rest of the Knights of the Round; Suzaku because he was the one that the anger was directed at and Anya because she was known for recording conversations. It was a good idea, but mostly just led to them wandering around the Tokyo Settlement until Suzaku had to go back. Suzaku hadn't dare to ask what the Knights of the Round were actually up to, but he was sure that Gino didn't know anything more than he did.

He sighed and ducked his head, staring at the sidewalk that they were walking down. He had been specifically warned by Lelouch that something radical was going to happen today, but Lelouch had failed to specify what exactly he meant by that. Suzaku hadn't been able to concentrate on anything since he had woken up as Lelouch had clambered out of bed. Cecile had even commented how he had seemed off today, or that's what Suzaku thought he had heard over Lloyd's shouting that he was useless.

"Suzaku?" He looked up as Gino slung an arm over his shoulders, the move not as sudden as it usually was. He attempted to smile at Gino before shaking his head, reaching back to push the arm off his shoulder.

"It's nothing. Just thinking."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"Enough to distract me all day." Suzaku rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around at the people that they were passing. "But that's nothing new."

Anya hummed to herself, Suzaku glancing over at the young woman as she snapped a picture of a nearby building. The two of them waited until Anya was done before continuing to walk, Suzaku watching her mess with the device.

He nearly tripped as Gino pulled him close, the blond smiling again. "Personally, I just think that those two are working you too hard."

Suzaku had to take a moment to mentally change tracks. "They're not, really. Miss. Cecile makes sure that Lloyd remembers that the staff is human and need breaks."

"You could always beg the emperor to be put back on personal guard duty if it gets to be too much."

Suzaku swallowed quickly at that, trying to keep his eyes from widening. He hadn't served as Lelouch's personal guard since they had started sleeping together, not officially anyway. And he doubted that requesting that would be the best decision. Having to stay in the same room as Lelouch for long stretches of time was a bad idea, especially since he would be left alone to his own thoughts. "N-no. I think I'm fine."

"Suit yourself." Gino shrugged but kept his arm around Suzaku's shoulders. Suzaku reached up to attempt to pry it off again only to have Gino lean more heavily on it. "That means I can still swoop in and rescue you, right?"

"I'm not a damsel in distress, Gino."

"You're surrounded by Knightmares and complicated blueprints. Who wouldn't want to be rescued?"

"I understand some of those blueprints, Gino." Suzaku managed to wiggle out from under Gino's arm, the Knight of Three smirking at him. "It's not that bad. I think I've test driven all of the Rounds Knightmare Frames."

"Even the Tristan?"

"Well, not yet."

"Tell me when you are working on the Tristan, I want to watch."

"Lloyd would probably let you run the tests." Suzaku laughed at the eager look on Gino's face. "I can only push an unfamiliar Knightmare so far. But it's much more fun that just standing by a door all day."

"You're never by the door." Suzaku looked over at Anya, the young woman not looking up from her diary. "You're always inside the room."

Suzaku felt his stomach drop as she looked at him, sure that she had figured out what he and Lelouch were doing. He had wanted to keep that a secret, he didn't want to become so closely connected to the Demon Emperor that he would end up in the history books. It wouldn't take much now to convince Lelouch to write him out of the history books or change his name. But if he was revealed as the lover of the emperor, there would be too much to easily control.

"Orders." He relaxed when Anya just nodded, glad that she had taken that as an answer.

"Makes sense. You're actually there to protect him." Anya glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. "But you're not his personal knight."

Suzaku stared at her before shrugging. "I don't really have a choice. I don't actually have any connection to money or land, so I can't argue. Besides, he's the emperor."

"Anya's got a point. You should at least get a raise."

"Gino." Suzaku wrestled the blond's arm off his shoulders again, finding himself smiling. "Get off."

"I will when you stop sulking."

"I'm not sulking, I'm preoccupied."

"Stop that then." Gino grinned and dodged out of the way. "We're supposed to be having fun!"

"You're just distracting me."

"That's the point." Suzaku jumped at the poke to his side. "You're stuck inside all the time and then you're always thinking." Gino's smile wavered for a moment, Suzaku understanding what he was thinking. But then Gino's smile was back in full force. "Just relax."

Suzaku rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Yes!" His arm was grabbed by Gino as the blond lunged forward. "Come on, you can show us around."

Suzaku bit his lip to keep from commenting. He vaguely knew his way around the city, but that was the city eighteen years from now. Still, he knew at least half of the buildings here and knew them well enough that he would be able to entertain the two Britannians. "Well, fine then. Any place you want to start?"

"Anywhere is fine. Just make sure to give Anya time to take pictures and jot things down." Gino turned to smile back at the young woman before settling his arm around Suzaku's shoulders again. "Hopefully getting her out will help her memory a bit."

Suzaku found himself returning the smile. "Then I'll try to make this memorable."

* * *

It shouldn't have been this easy. All it had taken was Suzaku rushing into his study, flushed from walking fast to keep from being late and a bit ruffled and a mere suggestive look from him. Then he had been pushed back into his chair with Suzaku nearly in his lap as they kissed. It didn't take too much from there to have Lelouch awkwardly splayed out over one of the couches in the room, naked, with Suzaku half on, half off of the couch as he thrust into Lelouch.

Lelouch reached down to grab Suzaku's folded leg, pulling it forward as he felt Suzaku slip. He barely heard the soft curse from the knight as the move made Suzaku thrust deeper, Lelouch was too busy trying to pull him closer. "There, Suzaku."

"Hold on." Suzaku grunted, taking an awkward hop forward to secure his position again before continuing his rhythm of thrusts.

Lelouch tipped his head back, ignoring the slight annoyance of the corner of the couch against the back of his head as Suzaku followed his order. His eyes fluttered shut, Lelouch gripping Suzaku's shoulders feeling his rhythm falter. It didn't matter, he was close himself. If Suzaku would only…

He was barely aware of shouting, not even sure that he managed the syllables of Suzaku's name as he came, clinging to Suzaku. Suzaku followed close after him, both of them managing to just barely save themselves from tumbling to the ground as they both collapsed. Suzaku was the only one who laughed at that.

Lelouch winced as Suzaku pulled out of him, aware of all the various complaints from his body of being held in an awkward position as well as the general disgusting feeling that came from being sweaty and sticky. He shifted on the couch, moving his head away from the corner and sprawling out over the length of the piece of furniture, Suzaku collapsing on the floor beside him.

The knight glanced up at him before sighing and resting his head on the couch, Lelouch taking the chance to run his hand through Suzaku's hair. This was the extent of cuddling that he would allow, but he was glad that Suzaku didn't seem to mind, the knight leaning into his touch. Lelouch was sure that, if he looked down at Suzaku, he would find that the other had his eyes closed. Lelouch shook his head, wincing at the crick in his neck. "Ow."

"Ow?" Lelouch tried not to smirk at how breathless Suzaku still was. "What's wrong?"

"Neck." Lelouch rubbed at his own neck with his free hand. "I'm sure I'll have a full report on the damage soon enough."

"Oh come on, Lelouch." Suzaku turned to smile up at him. "It can't be that bad."

"Can't be that bad?" Lelouch frowned, deciding how to best phrase his complaint to Suzaku.

It wasn't as if he didn't like the sex, it was probably because he liked it so much that he was a bit annoyed. He knew that he hated the feeling afterward of being completely exhausted, sweaty, sticky and aching a bit. Then there was the fear that he had said something completely embarrassing during the act itself and the fear of being so out of control. But it was alright, all of it was alright because Suzaku didn't ever comment on anything that Lelouch had done during the act itself, which was a relief.

But the problem was that this relationship with Suzaku was a complication and ran the risk of becoming an emotional attachment. It was part of the reason that Lelouch had avoided this, aside from his general distaste for being sweaty, for so long. He had seen his brothers and sisters having to be saved by the hasty intervention of his father when they had fallen for the same trap many times over. All it took was one pretty face and a belief that the other person loved them and then they were at that person's mercy. Then their father would come in to save them by banishing the person or ordering their death. Lelouch had learned a lot from just watching the way the royal family operated. From his observations he had learned to trust no one and avoid offering his body up as a way to sway people unless there was no other choice.

Suzaku was an exception to those rules, entirely dependent on him and at his mercy, so Lelouch didn't have to worry about the betrayal that would follow. And he was temporary, Suzaku had told Lelouch that himself. After Lelouch handed over the reins of the government to someone, he and Suzaku would go their separate ways. The situation they found themselves in right now was a symbiotic one, Suzaku getting the protection that he needed and Lelouch getting his loyalty. The fact that sex was involved at all was a bonus for the both of them.

Or that's how it was supposed to work out in his mind. It was a trade of services and not Lelouch picking out a favorite. He had seen what had happened to the favorites of the nobles before; they were hated, scorned and then killed, like his mother had been. That made him pause, Lelouch swallowing and forcing himself to keep stroking Suzaku's hair to not worry the knight.

With that law out there now, he would have to be more careful with Suzaku, he was too important an asset to lose. Perhaps he could lift the ban on spending the day together, for Suzaku's safety and not because he wanted the knight around more often. It would be the smartest move, and Nunnally had said she was missing him.

Lelouch chuckled to himself, letting his hand drop from the top of Suzaku's head to dangle by the knight's side. He was surprised when Suzaku picked the hand up and began gently playing with Lelouch's fingers. Lelouch swallowed, looking away from Suzaku to stare at the wall. "It was awkward. I kept bumping my head against the corner of the couch."

"Sorry."

He didn't have to look back at Suzaku to know that the knight was smiling apologetically at him. Lelouch waved his free hand, eventually letting it drop back over his stomach. "I'll blame your enthusiasm."

"My enthusiasm?" Suzaku chuckled, the sound making Lelouch turn his head to look at his knight. "You were pretty enthusiastic yourself."

"Yours is infectious."

"I'll take that as a compliment then." Lelouch shifted on the couch as Suzaku climbed back onto the furniture to brace himself over Lelouch. Suzaku leaned forward with a smile, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm never sure if you're complimenting me or insulting me."

"I assure you, it's on purpose."

Suzaku huffed before leaning down to kiss Lelouch. He was surprised at the show of affection, usually they just exchanged banter before leaving to clean up. When they were in his bed, Suzaku just curled up against his back and fell asleep. This was different and frighteningly close to a real relationship.

He turned his head to the side, breaking the kiss and staring at the door. All he had to do was ignore Suzaku and it would be alright. The knight would get off of him and they would go back to the way that they were. All he would be losing was the comforting weight and the warmth, both of which he could do without.

Lelouch tensed as Suzaku gently turned his head, forcing him to look back at Suzaku. Lelouch tried to look away again, freezing as Suzaku gently kissed his forehead before getting off the couch. "We're going to be late."

"Late?"

"Dinner."

Lelouch sat up straight at that, staring at Suzaku in shock. The knight was just calmly cleaning himself off and pulling on his clothes. Lelouch gave himself a quick look over, frowning at the dried semen that still covered his stomach. "Like this?"

Suzaku paused to look back at him. "Yeah, clean up and get dressed."

"But…Nunnally-"

"I doubt that she'll notice. And everyone knows that you'll kill them if they even try to explain what's going on between the two of us." Suzaku smiled at him, Lelouch relaxing and then immediately feeling angry about it. Why was it so easy to just give into Suzaku when he smiled like that?

He snapped out of his thoughts as Suzaku knelt down beside him, still missing his shirt. "Come on, she doesn't see you enough as it is."

"R-right."

Lelouch got up off the couch, surprised when Suzaku wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. He was kissed again, Suzaku just pressing their lips together briefly before stepping back. "It'll be alright, Lelouch."

Lelouch wished that he could believe him.


	15. Chapter 15

** Chapter Fifteen **

_November 4, 2017_

It was probably not the smartest decision to return to the common room after the three of them had gotten back from their trip around the city. Anya had retreated to her room to sort through the pictures to try and cement them in her memory and Suzaku had returned to his duties. That left Gino at loose ends until he felt tired enough to sleep, but that didn't mean he could go back to the danger zone that was the common room.

He took a deep breath as the door slid open, not surprised to see the rest of the knights there. He glanced around the room before making a beeline for his usual seat. He could just stay there and ignore those who insisted on being belligerent. The girls were usually the voice of reason, he could just speak with them.

Gino settled down on the couch, expecting to be ignored for the first few minutes, the usual approach to him since he had started to hang out with Suzaku. Instead, the knights shifted so he could be included in the group, all of them moving to take up the chairs around the low table in the room. Gino raised an eyebrow. "If this is an official meeting, I can go get Anya and Suzaku."

"No." Bismarck glanced over at him before dropping the stack of papers on the table. "This won't affect her as much as it will the rest of us."

Gino tensed as Luciano leaned over the back of the couch, one of the Knight of Ten's knives very close to his face. "And we'd have to kill you if you did that."

He waited for the usual chastisement, surprised when Bismarck didn't seem to bother. Gino frowned and shifted slightly away from the knife, still trying to appear nonchalant. "What's this about?"

"You haven't heard." Bismarck folding his hands, staring at Gino. "That's surprising, it's been all over the news."

"I was busy all day."

"With that Eleven."

"Luciano!" The Knight of Ten huffed by slunk away, Bismarck turning his attention back to Gino. "Then you should hear about it before your parents call you. Lelouch has disbanded the aristocracy."

Gino stared at him, reacting like the announcement was a joke before he could really think it over. "Are you serious?"

Bismarck tapped the papers in front of him with a finger, glaring at Gino. "I'm aware that your first reaction to anything unsavory is to joke, but please try to stay with us. This is a law removing all the rights from the aristocracy."

Gino leaned forward, skimming over the neatly printed order, pretending to read as Bismarck talked. "He's taken away everything save hereditary lands and properties for those nobles given their titles before his grandfather's time and the titles themselves, and even the lands had been reduced. All of the monopolies granted by the emperor have been taken away. He disbanded the Houses entirely, what once was the aristocracy now no longer has a say in the empire."

Gino leafed through the pages, just skimming over the thick legal phrasing before putting the papers back on the table. This was going to cause problems within his family, mostly because they were being forced to give up the power that they had been gathering for centuries, but they would survive. It was the few nobles that Charles zi Britannia had given power to that would be the most outraged. And, if he remembered correctly, three of the knights in the room belonged to those families.

Still, the rest of the nobles would be on edge because Lelouch could take away the rest of what they had just as quickly. He leaned forward to drop the papers on the table, leaning his cheek on his hand. He couldn't fathom a reason for Lelouch to push away the nobility like this, unless he was planning on a complete reform of Britannia, which wasn't something farfetched knowing the emperor. The nobles had been the ones who had supported the assassination of Lady Marianne, hating her because she was a commoner raised to this status; it would make sense that her son would lash out against him. But it seemed like the nobles had forgotten that.

He sat back in his seat, carefully watching the rest of the Knights of the Round. Almost all of them came from noble families of varying status, just on the principle that those families could buy a better education for their children that would lead to them being noticed by the emperor and raised to this position. All of the knights had earned their places in the Rounds, but the only reason that they had been noticed in the first place was because of their families. His own family would probably take the most damage from his law while Anya's would be relatively safe.

"So?"

He looked up at the question, glancing around at his fellow Knights of the Round before shrugging. "He's the emperor, he must have a reason. And it's not our place to question that."

"Of course you would say that, your friends with the Eleven who made this possible." Gino turned to stare at Sir Woods, the Knight of Eleven leaning on the back of the couch. "He's got the emperor's ear since he framed Raleigh."

"Framed Raleigh?"

Woods shrugged. "Why else would Raleigh want to kill Princess Euphemia? It would be treason to do so."

Gino glanced over at Bismarck, shocked that the Knight of One seemed to be agreeing with him. Bismarck was loyal to the empire and the emperor, Gino had never thought that he would see the point where Bismarck forced himself to decide between the two of them. Then again, all of the Knights of the Round had been reluctant to accept Lelouch as the emperor when he had killed Charles and taken the throne. Despite the method being a viable one, one that many of the emperors had used before, the Rounds had been reluctant. Gino had just thought that was because Lelouch had been so young at the time, that there was the danger of him being replaced quickly. But maybe it had been a lingering loyalty to Charles, the one emperor that had made Britannia something to be feared again after the fierce civil war that Britannia had faced on his ascension.

He cleared his throat, pretending to go along with their ideas for now. It would be easier for him to get out of here alive, especially with Luciano nearly hanging over him. "Then who killed the princess?"

"That damn Eleven." Woods seemed to have taken on Raleigh's mantra, not surprising for a young man that had been raised in Area 11 since the invasion. "Why else would the emperor keep him on for so long? He was protecting his pet Eleven when he framed Raleigh."

Gino laughed, turning to look at the Knight of Eleven. "Why would he have a pet Eleven when everyone hates the Numbers? It makes no sense."

He glanced over at Bismarck, taking note of the way the Knight of One refused to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. They could all probably guess the reason from the rumors that had begun to spread about Suzaku and Lelouch. Guards were usually set outside of rooms, not inside of them, and there was no way an Eleven had risen so far in the ranks without employing a little bit of bribery. It was just a matter of to whom the bribery was given to and how. It was expected, in a way, for Suzaku to have slept with Euphemia. But it would shock the people if it was ever found out that Suzaku had slept with Lelouch instead. It wasn't enough for them to completely disregard their emperor, but it was enough to cause some kind of uprising.

Woods gave an exasperated sigh. "It's the one knight that was the emperor's choice. That Eleven is his loyal dog and his position depends entirely on the emperor."

"And what would you do about it?"

"We'd demand that he repeal this law and return everything to its natural state. Including throwing out that Eleven."

Gino ignored the young man, turning to look back at Bismarck. He watched the Knight of One nod slowly. "I have served this empire too long to watch it come crashing down."

"It's treason."

"Today, Sir Weinberg, it may be called that. But it would be called deposing a tyrant later."

Gino shook his head and stood up, glad that the knights that had surrounded him during the talk retreated. "I won't join whatever you are planning."

Luciano made to pull out his knife again, stopped by a glare from the Knight of One. Bismarck stood as well. "And I won't make you, but you will have to live with your decision to fight us."

Gino nodded stiffly and walked over to the door, hesitating with his hand over the controls. "Will you tell me when it happens?"

"So you can turn us in? No." Bismarck sighed, sitting back down in his chair. "And you won't speak a word of this to the emperor or that Eleven. Luciano will be keeping a close eye on you."

Gino glanced over at the Knight of Ten, watching as Luciano smirked and flipped one of his knives into the air. He was sure that Bismarck would deliver on that threat, so he would have to be silent. Which meant his only course of action was to try and convince the Rounds that this was a horrible idea. He was sure that they would act faster than he could try and talk them out of this treasonous act.

"Sir Woods, make sure Sir Weinberg can't leave his room once he returns to it." Gino jerked a bit at the mention of being locked in his room, raising his eyes to look at Bismarck as the Knight of One made a dismissive motion. "You will be under close watch until you come to your senses. You are dismissed."

Gino slammed his hand against the controls, storming out of the door as it opened. Sir Woods was on his heels all the way to his room, Gino forcing himself to remain silent. He had blundered when he hadn't just run for it when Bismarck had started explaining his plan. Now he would be stuck under the Knights of the Round until their plan went through.

He stepped into his room, turning around to watch as Sir Woods keyed in the command to lock it from the outside, hating the smile on the knight's face. "You're an idiot, Gino."

He didn't say anything, but let the door slide closed.

* * *

 _November 7, 2017_

Suzaku slowly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. It was at least eight now, Lelouch was a bad influence when it came to his early rising habits. It was too easy to convince himself just to lay in bed when there was a warm body under the covers with him. Suzaku sighed, shutting his eyes for a second before going to sit up, only to have a hand slap him in the forehead.

He froze for a moment before turning his head, to look at Lelouch, Lelouch's fingers falling over his eyes. Suzaku leaned to the side to avoid being poked only to have Lelouch exhort pressure on his forehead again. "Down."

"What?"

"Lay back down." Lelouch pushed on him, keeping the pressure on until Suzaku laid back down. Lelouch turned to face him, resting on Suzaku's shoulder. "It's too early."

"It's eight."

"Don't care. Tired." Lelouch shifted closer, draped across Suzaku to keep him from moving. "I can finally sleep in."

"I have duties that I have to attend to."

"I order you otherwise." Lelouch opened one eye. "You're better than an extra blanket."

"So glad to be of service." Suzaku grumbled, trying to fight back his smile as he closed his eyes.

Lelouch had been increasingly tactile over the past few days, Suzaku blaming it on the way that the people had reacted to the laws that Lelouch had passed. Lelouch had even gone as far as keeping him close the day after the law had been announced; not that he really had a complaint about that. Suzaku had to fight back a grin at the memory of that day.

It had been easier since Gino hadn't been around for the past few days, which meant that he had returned to his old pattern of spending the day at the hangar, despite Lelouch's protests that he should stay close to him. He wanted to be sure that the time machine would be ready. From what he could understand from Cecile, they were ahead of schedule, the only thing left being the final check of the wiring that ran under the armor of the car. The sakuradite would be put in before he left, just enough to ensure that he would be able to get back and run the shielding. That was one less thing to worry about.

He felt Lelouch roll off of him, the emperor settling against him again, in contact but not quite cuddling. Suzaku opened one eye, watching as Lelouch pulled the blankets over them before finally settling into place, deciding to scoot closer so he could press his face into Suzaku's neck. Suzaku lifted his hand to push his fingers through Lelouch's hair, sighing as he relaxed. There was really nothing for him to do at the A.S.E.E.C hangar, and Gino would probably still be busy with whatever was occupying him. A few more minutes of sleep wouldn't do him too much harm.

Lelouch nuzzled him, Suzaku thinking that he felt a kiss before Lelouch relaxed again. He tipped his head to the side, enjoying the contact while he could. It was only a matter a time before Lelouch decided that they had cuddled enough for the day.

He was just drifting off to sleep when he heard the door open, Suzaku taking a moment too long to register the sound before he sat up abruptly. He caught sight of Jeremiah as the knight stood by the door, blushing as he realized what the situation must look like from the knight's perspective. He was sleeping in his boxers and Lelouch had been curled up to him, there was no way that it could construed as anything else. Suzaku ducked his head and blushed, refusing to look up at Jeremiah.

He felt Lelouch shift by his side, ducking down further as Lelouch sat up. A glance to the side showed that Lelouch looked completely composed, despite the situation that they were in. "Jeremiah?"

"Sorry for disturbing you, my lord."

"You wouldn't unless it was important." Lelouch slid out of bed at that, Suzaku remaining seated. "Is Nunnally alright?"

"Nunnally is fine, but I will request that you follow her into the safe room."

"Safe room?"

Jeremiah nodded slowly, shooting a glance at Suzaku. "The A.S.E.E.C hangar was attacked."

Suzaku felt his stomach plummet, throwing back the covers and standing shakily. "Lloyd? Miss. Cecile?"

"No one was hurt." Jeremiah barely glanced at him. "They just took their Knightmares."

Suzaku nearly collapsed with relief. Lloyd and Cecile were alright, which was the most important thing. Following that, the time machine was still in one piece. Building the time machine from scratch would have definitely kept him here longer than he wanted to, it might have even trapped him here. He took a deep breath and turned towards his folded pile of clothes, freezing when Lelouch spoke.

"Their Knightmares?"

Jeremiah looked embarrassed, nodding slowly. "It's the Knights of the Round, they've rebelled."

"What?" Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "All of them?"

"Only eight. The Tristan and the Mordred were left untouched."

"They left Gino and Anya." Suzaku pulled on his shirt, hurriedly pulling on his pants. "Why would they do that?"

"Does it matter? They're committing treason." Lelouch glanced at him, Suzaku finishing getting dressed. "I'll meet you with the Shinkiro."

"No." Both Jeremiah and Suzaku spoke at the same time, Suzaku walking over to Lelouch and gently grabbing his shoulder. "You're staying with Nunnally."

"Suzaku-"

"As a Knight of the Round, it is my duty to protect the emperor. It would be best if you went to your sister." Suzaku lifted his hand from Lelouch's shoulder, turning his attention to Jeremiah. "Gino and Anya aren't with them, so they must be in the building. They could be hurt."

Jeremiah bowed before gesturing for Lelouch to leave the room first. Lelouch glanced between the two of them, looking down at his pajamas before motioning Suzaku to go on. "Your task is defending this building. I'll try to speak with them."

Suzaku bowed before turning and jogging out of the room. He kept up the steady pace through the hall until he reached the elevator. Once inside, he bounced impatiently. Here was where he started to pay the price for messing with history. To his knowledge, the Knights of the Round had never rebelled against the emperor and, if they had, it had been kept quiet. But it wasn't even the full force, just eight of them.

He wanted to curse himself for being so stupid and blind. He had been too busy enjoying the fact that Lelouch had lifted his ban to even bother to see if Gino and Anya were alright when they had stopped coming to visit him. The Rounds must have kept them under guard to keep them from talking about the rebellion, and Suzaku had been easy to keep out of the loop. He clenched his hands into fists, letting a curse slip out before glancing at the elevator doors.

Suzaku was sliding out of the elevator as soon as the doors started opening, giving up all attempts to keep himself calm. He sprinted across the space between the administrative building and the hangar, his eyes widening as he saw the gaping hole in one side. He didn't bother with the door, just ducking through the hole. "Lloyd? Miss. Cecile?"

"Suzaku!" He scrambled over the rubble, smiling as he saw that the two of them were fine. He waited until he had gotten on flat ground to begin running again, hauling himself onto the remains of the computer platform.

"Is everyone alright?" Cecile nodded, glancing back at the room where the time machine was hidden. Suzaku spared a glance at the door, relaxing a bit more seeing that it was still intact. It wasn't that he didn't trust Jeremiah, but it was another thing to see it himself. He took a step back, glancing at the Lancelot. "Can the Lancelot still function?"

"Yes." Cecile pushed her hair behind her ears, starting to look worried. "Why?"

"I have orders."

"He couldn't have."

"I'm just a distraction." Suzaku managed a smile, beginning to walk towards where the Lancelot was. "Don't worry, Miss. Cecile, the emperor knows what he's doing."

"It's eight Rounds."

Suzaku turned around, making sure to smile at her as he took the incom device and the access key from her, attaching it to his ear. "I only have to hold out for a few minutes."

"Suzaku, they won't listen."

He hesitated a moment before raising a shoulder in a shrug. He had orders, and it would keep them from attacking the administrative building. And he was probably the reason that they were rebelling. He had heard about the law that took away the powers form the aristocracy, and he knew that they would have reacted badly. His presence wouldn't have helped either.

Suzaku swallowed nervously before climbing up to where the Lancelot stood, playing with the key in his hand. He took a shaky breath before stepping into the Knightmare, tying to calm himself. He stuck the key into the slot, trying to keep himself calm as the Knightmare Frame powered up.

Almost immediately after the system check was done Cecile appeared on the screen. "I'm calling the team out from where they're working. Reports are coming in that they have either destroyed the other Knightmares or the army refused to move against them. You might be the only one able to get off the ground."

"What about the Mordred or the Tristan?"

"Badly damaged, but we'll be able to save them. But you're the only one flying."

"Any chance of Lelouch getting to them?"

"No. We've been trying to contact them. They've cut themselves off."

Suzaku gritted his teeth, easing the Lancelot out of the hangar and into the open. So that left Lelouch out of the equation and him without a back up plan. The new plan would be to fight them all off, all eight of them.

He bit back the urge to curse, glancing down at the eight dots on his screen. He was doomed if they started to work together, so he had to pick them off one by one. Suzaku tightened his grip on the joysticks, shifting into a comfortable position in his seat. It would be best to take out the Knight of One first, but that would give the others time to get him.

Suzaku swallowed, trying to push those thoughts out of his mind. It would be just like going up against the JLF, take out the weakest first so he could focus on the strongest. Except there he could always somewhat depend on backup, here he was on his own. He reached forward to switching on the communications, watching his hand shake until it was wrapped back around the controls of the Lancelot. He couldn't stay out here much longer if he wanted the element of surprise on is side.

He activated the float system, sending the Lancelot forward until the Knightmare lifted off the ground, Suzaku breathing heavily as he nearly missed the top of a barrack building. It would have been easier if he had launched from something in the air, he could have used the extra speed to carry through the first and second attack quickly. As of now, the Lancelot was just gaining the altitude and the speed it needed, at the expense of the energy filler. It was just his luck that the Lancelot had been the lowest on the list for updates. Still, at least he had his full arsenal of weapons this time.

Suzaku pulled out the VARIS rifle, checking the dots on his screen. The two closest to him were KRC12 and KRDI8, the Knights of Twelve and Eight. He swallowed, taking aim at the Knight of Eight's Knightmare. If he didn't do this, then this rebellion could ruin any chances of a peaceful future, it could get him stuck here for the rest of his life. It could kill Lelouch and Nunnally, Cecile and Lloyd. Suzaku flinched at that, opening one eye to double check his aim.

When he had come back to the past, he hadn't wanted to kill people, he had just wanted to make things right.

"Sorry."

He automatically adjusted for the kick back from the VARIS, twisting the Lancelot to one side to keep on the attack, watching as the Dinadan burst into flames, plummeting to the ground. Suzaku glanced at the Knightmare Frame just to make sure that it was completely incapacitated before turning his attention to the others, taking aim at the Knight of Twelve as she spun her Knightmare to face him.

"It's Suzaku Kurur-AH!" He fired the VARIS again before she could finish the alert, gritting his teeth and glancing at the next knight, trying to find one that was farther away from the others.

He didn't get much of a choice, Suzaku watching as two Knightmares dropped out of their formation to come at him. He didn't bother glancing at the identifying number, it was easier to kill a machine than a human. Suzaku took aim at the one coming from the front, firing at the Knightmare even as he pulled one of his MVS swords from its scabbard.

His first shot was dodged, Suzaku quickly firing off another shot directly at the Knightmare Frame's head before turning to slash at the Knightmare that had come up behind him. The MVS sword cut through the Knightmare's arm, Suzaku having to kick the Knightmare away to get his sword free. He was bringing up his sword for another attack when he saw the Knightmare tumble over, his stomach sinking as he recognized the Safir. If the Safir wasn't perfectly balanced, then it was completely useless.

Suzaku turned the Lancelot away, not wanting to watch as the Knightmare tumbled to the ground. He reached forward, fumbling until he found the channel that would connect him to Cecile. "Miss. Cecile?"

"Yes?"

"Can we have a medical team ready to help out those that crash?"

"His majesty won't-"

"I know he won't like it." Suzaku licked his lips. "But I can't just let them die like this."

"They'll die anyway."

He nodded, putting up the VARIS as he kept moving forward. He was getting too close to the others to use the long range weapon and not risk its destruction. There were only four knights left, Suzaku ignoring the fact that one of those knights was the Knight of One.

He drew the other MVS blade, raising it in time to catch the arm of a Knightmare frame. Suzaku glanced at the other Knightmares staying close by, biting his lip before reaching forward to activate the outside speakers. "Stop this before anyone else gets hurt."

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Suzaku tensed at the sound of Luciano's voice. "You want to be the Eleven who saved the day. Are you trying to become Knight of One?"

"You'll find that position is already filled, Eleven."

Suzaku looked at the towering form of the Galahad, cursing his luck. The Galahad had been among the first Knightmares that they had upgraded, so he was woefully outmatched there. He shifted in his seat, watching as the Knightmares drifted away from him, paying more attention to the grid where they were represented by dots than where they were outside. "I don't want to be the Knight of One."

"You could have fooled us." It was a female voice this time, Suzaku blinking and turning his head to watch the Knight of Nine drift into his line of sight.

"I'm only serving my emperor." Suzaku didn't expect them to believe that, there were too many rumors and he was too close to Lelouch. He shifted in his seat, trying to keep track of all of them. "The emperor that you serve as well."

"The emperor has shown himself to be ineffective and corrupt." Suzaku bit back his response that Charles had been the same way. "Save for you and the Knights of Eight and Eleven, we all swore our loyalty to Charles zi Britannia. We served the son in the hopes that he would be like his father, and we were tricked."

Suzaku's heart pounded faster as he saw Bismarck pull the huge sword from its scabbard on the Galahad's back. It wasn't an MVS sword like his, it wouldn't vibrate at the speeds needed to cut through metal, but that didn't matter, it was large enough to just crush sections of the Lancelot. Which was probably their plan, to herd him close enough to destroy the Lancelot completely. He wouldn't get time to make complete kills here, something that he accepted with a sigh of relief.

The first attack came from Nonette, Suzaku barely twisting the Lancelot around in time to raise an arm. He winced as metal screeched against metal, activating the Blaze Luminous system and using that to push Nonette away. She used that time to reach for her gun, Suzaku fumbling with the controls for a moment before lunging forward, cursing as the MVS sword slipped into the Knightmare and stuck.

He looked over his shoulder, reaching back for the VARIS rifle as the Knight of Two charged him, managing to get the weapon down in time to fire off a shot. He was shocked that it was actually on target, the Knightmare Frame exploding before dropping out of the sky. Suzaku took one last glance at Nonette's Knightmare before turning to face the Galahad, letting the MVS sword fall with her.

He put up the VARIS again, drawing his last MVS sword. The rifle wouldn't do any good, it would be too hard to aim and shoot with the reach that Bismarck had. He eyed the position of the Factspheres on the Galahad, trying to determine where the Knightmare's blind spot was before Bismarck charged. Suzaku blinked rapidly, adjusting his grip on the joysticks before sending the Lancelot forward.

Bismarck lunged forward, the sword held out in front of the Knightmare, Suzaku having to push the joysticks to their farthest reach to get around the lunge. He gritted his teeth, spinning the Lancelot around, craning his neck to get a first glimpse of his target. Of all the knights, Bismarck was the one that he would have to kill. Bismarck's position as Knight of One and the power that he had meant that he was a danger to Lelouch, and Suzaku couldn't let that go. It was for the sake of the future.

It took another rough twist for him to get the Lancelot to turn in time for him to push the sword into the back of the cockpit. He didn't dare to push it in too far, the sword would get stuck, but just far enough for the ejection system to register that the cockpit had suffered damage so that it wouldn't activate.

He jerked the Lancelot out of the way from the wild swing, smiling as he realized that he had managed to accomplish that much without too much injury. Suzaku backed the Lancelot away, staring at the float system. While it would be easier to just stab straight through it, it would take much longer.

Suzaku jumped, raising the MVS sword to block a blow from the Galahad. He glanced towards the nearest section of the float system before skittering to the side, activating the Blaze Luminous shield on one arm to catch the Galahad's sword as it came down. He didn't have time to judge his lunge, Suzaku just going forward and hoping that something happened.

He smiled in relief, watching out of the corner of his eye as he cut through one side of the float system. He wasn't able to hear the tell tale sound of the float system powering down over Lancelot's Yggdrasil drive, but he was sure that it was damaged. Suzaku turned away, flying around behind the Galahad as it tilted dangerously to one side. He slashed through the float system on the other side, watching as the equipment sparked before coming back around.

Suzaku spent a moment smiling at his work, only to have to bring his sword up to block again. He felt his mouth drop open, staring at the holes the in casing of the float system, having a moment of fear that he hadn't cut deep enough. He wouldn't survive a drawn out fight. Suzaku swallowed reaching forward to fire a Slash Harken. He was sure that he had at least weakened the float system, Bismarck wouldn't be able to move as fast and it would eventually fail, it was just a matter of waiting out that time until failure.

The Slash Harken hit, Suzaku pulling it back as fast as possible to create the most damage. He took a quick breath before pulling away, deflecting another blow on the shield before moving out of range. If he could force Bismarck to move, then the float system would fail faster.

He took a deep breath before diving for the Galahad, twisting out of the way at the last minute and catching the edge of a slash. He glanced at the edge of his screens, taking a deep breath before firing a Slash Harken, hearing it ping off the Galahad's armor. Suzaku took a deep breath, coming around to the front again to repeat the move from another angle.

The strike from Bismarck came faster the second time. He barely got his sword up in time, the edges of the two swords sliding against each other for a moment before Suzaku was able to hold it. He shook his head, flipping his hair out of his eyes so he could see the screens better. He shifted the Lancelot, managing to turn the Knightmare so that he could aim a kick at the Galahad, exhaling quickly when the Knightmare was forced backward.

The Galahad bobbed for a moment, Suzaku taking that as encouragement. Just a little longer and he would be done, he was already sweating from the close atmosphere in the Knightmare Frame and the stress.

He backed the Lancelot away, double checking everything before sending the Lancelot forward at full speed. There was a chance that Bismarck would be able to hit him before Suzaku had even completed his move, but the Galahad was slower; Suzaku knew this from testing it after it had been upgraded. And if he could slide in during the delay…

He felt himself smile as the Galahad raised its arms, moving too slowly to stop the Lancelot from ducking under the attack and slamming into the Galahad.

Suzaku pulled away as fast as he could, breathing heavily as the watched the Galahad wobble. He bit back a curse as the Knightmare stayed up, forgetting about his plan. He had to get rid of Bismarck now.

He lunged forward, plunging the sword into the Galahad's chest, adding an extra twist before forcibly yanking the sword out of the Knightmare. It took longer than it should have, the Lancelot wobbling as it was suddenly sent backward. He quickly adjusted the Knightmare, watching as the Galahad finally fell towards the ground.

Suzaku stared at the falling Knightmare, sure that he had at least harmed Bismarck. Combined with the fact that the ejection system wouldn't work, he was sure that the Knight of One was as good as dead. That just left checking in with Cecile and seeing if she needed the Lancelot for anything more. Hopefully the Knights of the Round that survived the fall of their Knightmares would be willing to cooperate now that their leader was dead.

He rubbed his thumbs over the buttons that would fire the Slash Harkens, still remaining tensed until he saw the Galahad hit the ground. Only then did he allow himself a long sigh of relief. Now it was officially over. Suzaku sat back in his seat, only now starting to realize that the incom had started falling from its place. He chuckled and reached up to push it back into place, slumping back into his seat sigh of relief.

"Damn Eleven!"

Suzaku only had a moment to register the voice before he heard something tear through the Lancelot's armor. He didn't have time to react, his mouth dropping open at the searing pain through his right side, across his chest and into his left shoulder. Suzaku tipped his head back against the headrest of the seat, his mouth open in a silent scream as he felt something give in his side, making it hard to breathe.

He let his head drop forward, struggling to draw in breath as he stared at the grid on the screen, his eyes wide as he saw the dot still blinking on the screen.

KRP10.

He had missed one.

Suzaku heard laughter over the external speakers, struggling to keep his eyes open as he looked up from the screen, seeing the Percival's head loom in his vision. "L-Luciano…"

"Tell me, Eleven, what do you value the most?"

He tried to draw in a breath to speak, his mind refusing to form a coherent answer. All he could think about was getting back to the ground. His head flopped to the side, Suzaku staring at the MVS sword. It was in the opposite arm from the one that the Percival had pushed into the Lancelot. Suzaku felt himself smile, managing a cough as Luciano grew impatient. "Your life, you fool!"

Suzaku screamed as he forced the Lancelot into motion again, slashing the MVS sword through the Percival's arm. He gasped for breath after the move, twisting the Lancelot around to kick the Percival, the pain from his side inciting another scream from him as he dropped the MVS and pulled out the VARIS, firing at point black range.

The Percival burst into flames and fell to the ground, Suzaku not bothering to watch it fall. He turned the Lancelot back towards the hangar, trying to keep his injured side from moving too much. He did press the fingers of his right hand against the incom device in his ear, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Miss. Cecile…"

"Suzaku? Did you get them all?"

"Y-yes." He swallowed. "Is a medical team out here?"

"You asked for us to have one." Suzaku almost missed her pause. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course." He forced himself to smile, hoping that his voice would carry the emotion even as his vision wavered. "And make sure Lelouch goes easy on them, they're just confused."

"Suzaku?"

"I'm landing now, Miss. Cecile." He was aware of the sticky warmth on his side and chest, the pleasant numbness that he had been in for so long wearing off. Now all he could feel was the pain, and he was partially grateful that he was so close to unconsciousness so he wouldn't have to feel it. But that wouldn't matter if he didn't get the Lancelot to land safely. "This might not be one of my better ones."

"Suzaku? What's wrong?"

"I'm just tired, Miss. Cecile. Bismarck was hard to beat." He wasn't sure if she would that that as an excuse, but he couldn't think of another one. He couldn't really think beyond getting the Lancelot to land. Suzaku swallowed, staring at the ground at it came up, forcing himself to react quickly, attempting to steady the Knightmare with only one hand. "Oh, and tell Lloyd I'm sorry, the Lancelot is kind of wrecked. Luciano got me."

"Luciano? Suzaku, where are you?"

"Landing." He gritted his teeth against a scream of pain as the Lancelot jolted on the landing. "I'll be in sight of the hangar in a few sec-" He choked on the quick breath that he took. "Seconds."

He attempted to slow the Lancelot down, managing to get it to an acceptable speed closer to the hangar. Suzaku was sure that he heard Cecile gasping over the incom. So, she had seen him. He lifted his head, barely hearing the shouts that were coming in over the communications systems. The medical team would be able to get to him better from the scaffolding, especially since he couldn't open the cockpit and slide out. "Tell them to-"

"Tell them what, Suzaku?"

"Cut me out. Can't open the cockpit. Tear too much."

"Alright, Suzaku." Cecile was sounding frantic now. "Just keep talking, alright? Please, Suzaku, just keep talking."

Suzaku opened his mouth to speak, biting back a hiss of pain. He had to be close enough now, it hurt too much to keep moving, hurt to breathe. He held his breath until he heard the sound of metal on metal, stopping the Lancelot and tipping his head back against the headrest.

Cecile was still talking to him over the radio, Suzaku having trouble distinguishing individual words.

"M-miss. Cecile?"

"Yes, Suzaku, I'm still here."

It was harder to keep his eyes open now. If he was unconscious he wouldn't be in as much pain, and that sounded perfect for him. He didn't bother to try and stay awake any longer, he trusted Cecile and Lloyd to handle this from here.

Suzaku sighed, letting his head drop forward, not even aware that he spoke as he slipped into unconsciousness. "Don't tell Lelouch."

* * *

Lelouch leaned against the wall impatiently, staring at Gino and Anya, trying his best not to lash out at the two knights. They hadn't joined the uprising against him, so they weren't to blame, but they hadn't warned him about the plans.

He drummed his fingers against the wall before pushing away and storming over to the door, ignoring Jeremiah's stammered attempt to get him to stay. He had already been here long enough, he wanted to know what was going on. The reports were coming in too slow second hand, from the few loyal guards who had stopped by. From what he knew, about half of the army had remained loyal to him while the others had decided not to act. The latter would be punished for their failure and made examples of. He couldn't have his army against him at this crucial moment, and it seemed that he couldn't trust his knights either, baring a few.

Lelouch threw an angry look back over his shoulder, about to open the door despite Jeremiah's protests when the door slid open itself. Lelouch took a step back at the sight of the guard on the other side of the door. The man managed a bow before beginning to speak. "The Knights of the Round have been defeated, your majesty. We have two survivors, the Knights of Nine and Eleven. They're being treated for their wounds and being moved to the prison to be interrogated at your leisure."

"Did the army help with this at all?"

The guard shifted nervously before shaking his head. "Most of them were too focused on making sure that the Knights of the Round didn't destroy any more equipment. We were glad when Sir Kururugi defeated them."

Lelouch fought to keep his mask in place. "And Sir Kururugi defeated the Knights of the Round single handedly?"

"Yes. It was amazing, your highness."

He allowed himself a smirk for that. No one would be saying that Suzaku was useless or a traitor any longer. It would be a blow to the nation that a Number had managed not only to defeat their best pilots but had been the only one ready to defend Britannia. Lelouch couldn't have thought of a more perfect scheme himself, although he regretted that he hadn't seen the rebellion coming. He had though that the first violent protests would have come from the homeland and not from the knights that he had depended on for so long. But Euphemia's death had showed him that he couldn't depend on the Knights of the Round anymore, and he should have acted sooner on his instinct to disband them then. But that would have given too much away, and he had liked the security that came with them too much.

Lelouch dismissed the guard, turning so he could look at the others in the room, his gaze lingering on Nunnally for a while. His sister still looked frightened, and he couldn't blame her. She had been still half asleep when she had been wheeled in here and then they had stayed in here without any explanation, not even when Gino and Anya had been dragged in.

He glanced down at his clothes, deciding that the slacks and button down shirt that he had thrown on would do for now. He would go out in full regalia later if need be, but he wanted to survey the damage on his own.

"Gino, I'll need you for the interrogation. Take Anya back to her room and meet me there." The Knight of Three bowed, Lelouch not bothering to acknowledge the move as he walked over to Nunnally and knelt by her wheelchair. "Nunnally, I'm asking you to go back to your room with Jeremiah. He'll answer all of your questions, but I want you to wait for me there. I'll be back."

She bit her lip but nodded, Lelouch patting the back of her hand before standing up and walking out of the room. He would check on the status of his army and get the commanders to begin gathering the names of those who had stood against him and the list of weapons that they needed to repair. It was a blessing that the Knights of the Round had chosen now to rise against him, especially with the JLF nearly completely dead. Then again, this would give them the time they needed to recover. Still, he would be at full strength faster than they would.

Lelouch strode out of the administrative building, not bothering to look towards the destruction. All of that could wait until he talked to Suzaku. Gino hadn't participated in the rebellion, but Lelouch still didn't fully trust him. At this point, Suzaku was better than Gino.

And then there was the part of him that just wanted to find Suzaku and kiss him senseless. But that was the part that would be pushed down. It was inappropriate for an emperor to behave like that in public, even if his knight had just accomplished a task that was thought impossible.

The A.S.E.E.C hangar showed damage, a hole in one of the walls and scorch marks from where attacks had just missed, but it was something that Lelouch expected, although he hadn't foreseen it. It made sense that the Knights of the Round would attempt to destroy anything that Lelouch could use against them, which meant that the hangar where the Knightmares were stored would be the first place that they would attack. At least it was less damage that he had expected.

Lelouch shook his head and walked around to the large open door, freezing when he saw the ambulance that was parked nearby. Maybe he had been too hasty in his dismissal of the damage to the A.S.E.E.C. It would make just as much sense for the Knights of the Round to try to take out the personnel as well, since they were the ones who knew how to keep the Knightmare Frames in repair. And Lelouch was sure that the empire would suffer if Lloyd Asplund was killed, the man was the reason that they were advancing so fast.

He sped up, walking around so he could look into the hangar. Lelouch allowed himself to slump for a moment as he saw that the damage to the inside of the hangar was minimal. Most of the staff looked alright, which was good. Maybe he could scavenge something from the Knights of the Round's Knightmares and use them to augment the number of Knightmares they had lost when the Rounds had first attacked.

Lelouch walked further into the hangar, freezing as he saw the Lancelot, his mouth dropping over at the fragment of an arm that was still hanging out of the Knightmare's chest. He snapped his mouth shut, walking quickly to the base of the Lancelot and staring at the fragment, his heart beating faster as he tried to calculate how far the arm had gone into the Knightmare.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard voices chattering quickly, rising in volume the longer they went on. Lelouch took a step back, staring up at the scaffold that ran behind the Lancelot, frowning. He was about to turn to see what was going on when someone that he assumed was a technician stepped down onto the computer platform, the man freezing before bowing. "Your majesty, it's not safe here."

"The rebellion was put down, wasn't it?"

"Y-yes, but-"

"Alex, move!" Cecile came bounding down the stairs, Lelouch taken aback by the look on her face. Usually she was the more collected of the two scientists, but now she looked on the edge of panic. She waved the technician away, freezing when he motioned to Lelouch. She turned a fraction, staring at him before jumping. "The emperor! He's not supposed to be here! Get him away from here!"

"Is there anything wrong?"

Lelouch didn't get the answer to his question. A shout from the scaffolding had Cecile and the technician stepping out of the way, giving way to the team of people carrying a stretcher carefully down the steps.

He remained frozen in place even as they carefully maneuvered to get to the hangar floor, Lelouch's eyes fixed on the person on the stretcher, trying to get a glimpse of any distinguishing characteristic.

It was probably just one of the technicians who had gotten hurt in the initial attack, or when the Lancelot had come limping back in. Knowing Suzaku, the knight was probably back in the small locker room toweling off and trying to ignore the chaos. He would wait for the stretcher to go back before looking for Suzaku there. His knight deserved congratulations in person for defeating the Knights of the Round, and not because Lelouch felt the need to find Suzaku and make sure that he was alright. Suzaku was just…Suzaku was just…

Suzaku was the one on the stretcher.

Lelouch's eyes widened as he saw the stretcher carried past him, staring at the familiar mop of brown curls. He caught a glimpse of Suzaku's face, but he was too distracted by the bandages that were wrapped hastily around the knight's body. The bandages were stark white on the edges, but only the edges, the majority already turning dark red.

He wasn't even aware that he was shaking until he backed up into the Lancelot, reaching out to catch himself on the Knightmare Frame as he watched them load Suzaku in the ambulance before driving off. Lelouch tried to get a grip on the Lancelot as he felt his knees begin to give, his fingers just sliding over the smooth armor before he caught himself. He was probably leaning on the damaged Knightmare Frame too much, but he didn't feel like he could stand on his own at the moment. It was too much for him to take in, too much like his mother.

Lelouch looked up as he saw Cecile step down from the computer platform, watching as she hurried from the hangar. She was probably going to wait for the doctors to finish up whatever they could do for Suzaku, and he should probably follow. But he couldn't follow her, it would be too much like that night when he had waited on news for his mother and sister, and he couldn't go through that again. He couldn't just wait.

His fingers slid off the Lancelot's armor, Lelouch stumbling a step before he caught himself. He reached across his body to grab a hold of his arm, getting a tight grip on himself in an attempt to calm down. He had to find something to occupy his mind so it wouldn't keep circling around to the image of Suzaku bleeding out on a stretcher, he had to do something to keep himself from becoming a shaken mess, especially since he was in public.

Lelouch managed to stumble away from the Lancelot, the motions of walking getting easier the farther he got away from the hangar. Slowly, he began to pull himself back together, starting to organize his mind again. First, he would have to give out the orders to the military to begin to pull themselves together, and fast so that the JLF wouldn't take this as a chance to attack. Then the people who had refused to help would be punished.

His hands clenched into fists, Lelouch gritting his teeth. Those that had stood against him would be punished harshly for what they had done. They had killed Euphemia and attempted to take away his empire and his knight. And that included the two Knights of the Round that had survived the fight. He didn't care about what they had to say in their defense anymore, he just wanted them dead. The Knights of the Round would be destroyed completely, the group disbanded and their Knightmare Frames consigned to scrap. And he would make sure that their families were completely destroyed as well, they would all remember the day that they had tried to rise up against their emperor.

He stormed back into the administrative building, barely noticing the people rushing around in a panic. He had to stick to his list and fight the urge to turn around and run to the hospital. There were people to punish and Nunnally to think of. Lelouch started a bit at that thought, his eyes widening for a moment before he dropped his gaze to the floor. Yes, he had to think about Nunnally, she would want to know what had happened.

"Lelouch!" He jumped at the sound of his name, turning around and dodging to one side as he saw the arm reaching out for his shoulder.

It took him a minute to recognize Gino and then realize that the knight had been calling him for a while. Lelouch shook his head, about to turn around and walk away when Gino reached for him. He slapped the hand away and took a step backward. "Lord Weinberg!"

"I had to make sure you were listening." Gino didn't smile, the man taking a step forward. "They brought Nonette and Woods in."

"I don't care."

"But…" Gino looked taken aback, Lelouch glaring at him before gesturing wildly.

"I don't care. You can go and see them, but I want them dead when you leave. Understand?" Lelouch watched Gino step back in horror, not caring that he was shocking the man. "They are traitors and deserve that much. If not, your execution order will be waiting right beside theirs."

Gino met his glare for a moment before bowing. "Yes, your highness."

Lelouch hesitated a moment before nodding. "Rise." Gino followed his order, Lelouch staring at him before looking away. "You won't be punished with the rest of them. As far as I'm concerned, you're innocent. You and Anya."

"Thank you."

"Just be prepared to lose your title."

That made Gino look up abruptly, Lelouch not sure how to take the wide eyed gaze before the knight nodded. "Yes, your highness."

"Go." He didn't bother to look back to Gino, managing to keep a steady pace until he was sure that the knight had turned the corner. Lelouch swallowed and straightened his back, only allowing himself to walk a little faster.

He walked through the halls, passing the rooms that he should have gone to; the one where all of his commanders were waiting, Nunnally's room and his study. He just walked to his own room and opened the door, keeping his composure until he was inside and the door slid shut.

Lelouch slumped back against the wall, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself before beginning to slide down the wall. He wrapped his arms around himself, biting down on his bottom lip and using the pain to focus himself. He should be anywhere but here, anywhere where he wouldn't have anything to do. But his room was where he was safe, where Suzaku could hold him openly, where it smelled like Suzaku and safety. It was too much like that night out there, and he didn't think he could deal with it.

He pushed away from the wall, stumbling over to the bed and flopping down on it. Lelouch glared at the wall before turning and pressing his face into the covers, feeling himself beginning to shake again. It was too easy to think back to the night that his mother was murdered, and that made him feel helpless and frightened, two things that he had never wanted to feel again. First his mother, then Daiki, then Euphemia and now Suzaku, it was too much. Britannia was slowly snatching away those who meant the most to him.

How long before it took Nunnally from him?

Lelouch curled into a ball, grabbing a handful of covers as he pulled his knees to his chest, unable to stop himself from shivering. He needed something to cling to, something solid to center himself and remind him that he was just over thinking things. Half the stuff that he was thinking of hadn't happened and probably wouldn't, but that didn't stop it. He couldn't stop, not when he had sent Suzaku to his death. There was no way that one pilot could stand against the Knights of the Round, but he had let Suzaku go anyway.

He pressed his face into the covers to muffle a pained whine, he still had his dignity to preserve. He couldn't be seen like this, not after what had happened. The empire needed a strong leader, a mask that he couldn't show right now. All Lelouch could do was close his eyes and wait for the shudders to run their course.

* * *

Gino shook his head as he was escorted down into the prison, having to sidestep fallen sections of masonry. Everything was in chaos. The army was trying to pull itself together without any orders from the emperor. This would have been easier to handle under Charles, the ninety-eighth emperor had taken a hands off approaching to ruling his empire. After he had taken all the territory that he had desired, Charles had sat back and let others rule the empire until Lelouch had killed him.

Lelouch was the exact opposite of his father, and he had gotten the commanders used to waiting for orders from him during times of crisis. Those orders wouldn't be coming for a while from what Lelouch had looked like when Gino had met him in the hall. The emperor looked badly shaken over something that he had seen. Gino wasn't even going to start speculating on what exactly that was, he was too focused on the threat that had been thrown at him when he had met Lelouch.

He had no doubt that the emperor was serious about executing Woods and Nonette, they had rebelled against the empire. But it was strange for Lelouch to just blindly order the execution of a person without at least speaking to them and Gino felt he owed it to his fellow Rounds just to say goodbye.

He ducked under a low beam, the soldier that was leading him giving him an apologetic smile before gesturing to a cell. "I'll be waiting."

"Thanks. Call me before this place comes down."

The soldier laughed and patted the wall. "It's stronger than it looks, believe me."

Gino watched the solider as he walked away, stopping a good distance away. It was a show of privacy and as close as he would get to real privacy. Even though the order hadn't come out yet, everyone knew that these two were going to be executed. Gino sighed and ran a hand over his face, glancing around for something to sit on before settling for leaning back against the wall and staring into the cell.

Both of the knights stared back at him, Nonette sitting down on the floor with her left arm in a sling and a bandage over the left side of her face. Woods was leaning against one of the side walls, both of his hands bandaged. His leg was also bandaged and he was obviously not putting weight on it.

Woods was the first one to speak, laughing and turning his head to the side. "Come to gloat, Weinberg?"

"I came to say that you are both charged with treason." Gino watched as Nonette nodded, the woman playing with the end of her makeshift sling.

Woods, however, didn't look as repentant. "Yeah? Tell us something we don't know."

"Christan." Nonette glared at the younger member of the Rounds before looking back at Gino. "I assume that you and Anya are excluded from this."

"Yes." Gino resettled his position on the wall, staring at the two of them before shaking his head. "Just to humor me, was that law the only reason you decided to go against him?"

Nonette shook her head, reaching up to push her hair behind her ear. "It was more than that, just a bunch of little things actually. I think everyone was different. But it started getting bad when he-"

"When Lelouch let that Eleven into our ranks." Gino turned to look at Woods as the man glared at him. "The Knights of the Round are the best of the Britannian knights, no Numbers. I worked hard my whole life to get this position only to have an Eleven take a higher number than me. And what had he done? Just slept with the princess a few times."

"He's done more than that."

"What, did he sleep with the emperor too?"

"Christan!" Nonette flinched back as Gino leaned forward to slam his palm against the barrier between them. Woods jumped as well, staring at Gino in shock before snapping his mouth shut and looking at the floor.

Gino shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the wall. "If you had bothered to listen to anything, you would have the answer to that question."

"It doesn't matter. He's just a Number."

"Nonette?"

"He is a Number, Gino, but I understand that he's accomplished." She offered him a small smile. "But why punish all the nobles for what a few did. I understand taking away the monopolies and trying to balance the power, but not taking away nearly everything that we have and leaving us with titles alone. My family supported Lady Marianne, we were one of her ardent supporters."

"So, betrayal?"

"It sounds like that, doesn't it?" Nonette gave a soft laugh before shaking her head. "That's about the sum of it though. The other things are too petty."

Gino rubbed a hand over his face, turning to glance at the guard that was still standing in place. He let out his breath in a long sigh, not knowing what to say.

He supposed that he had every right to feel as betrayed as Nonette, since the Weinbergs had supported Lady Marianne as well, but he just didn't. Then again, he had never been too close to his family nor did he enjoy the idea that he would be the one to take the title of Lord Weinberg when his father died, he preferred the freedom that came from being one of the Knights of the Round. The newest law meant that he would never have to deal with the things that he hated about being a noble, so it worked in his favor. All of it had worked in his favor. But, if it hadn't, would he have still wanted to rebel against the emperor.

"I swore my loyalty."

"I know, Gino." Nonette smiled at him. "No hard feelings at all. You tried to stop us, and we didn't listen."

"I'll see if I can convince him to make it humane. I can't promise that it'll be private."

"It won't."

Gino shrugged, raising a hand to wave as he turned away. "It's been great serving with you, Nonette."

She nodded. "Thank you, Gino."

Woods snorted in disgust at their exchange, rolling his eyes. Gino shot him a last glare before walking over to where the soldier was, ducking under the sagging ceiling. "They'll have to be killed. The sooner the better."

"Emperor's orders?"

"The only ones I could get from him." Gino sighed and glanced over his shoulder at the prison again. "I don't think he would want to leave it for long, especially with supporters in the military."

"R-right." The soldier looked nervous. "Should I just…"

"I'll smooth it out with the emperor if he tries to punish you." Gino forced himself to smile, walking away from the soldier as fast as he could. He didn't know if this was exactly what Lelouch wanted, but it was better than just leaving them to wait. Besides, they had enough on their hands trying to get everything under control without having to worry about two Knights of the Round.

Gino ducked out of the door, blinking in the bright light before turning back to the administrative building. He would make his report to Jeremiah and hope that he would be able to find the emperor. If not, he would be forced to wait like everyone else. He could probably find Anya and speak with her, just in case she was worried about what was happening, or she had forgotten about it already.

Or, better yet, he could just find Suzaku and talk to him. Gino found himself smiling at that prospect. Suzaku was probably exhausted from piloting the Lancelot, and Lelouch had made himself unavailable which meant that Suzaku was free. Gino didn't even know what to suggest that they do, but he was sure that Suzaku would want to stick close to the administrative building.

Then again, Suzaku should have been back by now, he had only been allowed out of that room when the report came that the last of the Knights of the Round had been contained. That was enough time for Suzaku to get a quick shower and at least start heading back. Knowing Suzaku, he wanted to check if everyone was alright. In fact, he should have been following Lelouch earlier, it wasn't like him to leave the emperor unguarded during a time like this.

Gino stopped in his tracks, staring at the administrative building. Suzaku should have been with Lelouch, there was no question about that. And then there was the look on Lelouch's face and the way that the emperor hadn't responded for a while. Gino's eyes widened as he turned to look at the A.S.E.E.C hangar. "Shit."

* * *

Cecile glanced up at the light again, sighing when she realized that it was still on before looking back down at her hands. He had been in there for an hour already, but that probably wasn't enough time, not after everything that had been done to Suzaku. She shivered at the memory, ducking her head and pushing the heels of her hands against her eyes.

There had been so much blood, dripping down Suzaku's side and over the lance.

She lifted her face from her hands at the sound of tapping, glancing over at where Lloyd was attempting to remain still while leaning on the wall. Another glance at the door showed that it was still shut and the light still on.

At least the light was still on, that had to be a good sign. It had to mean that he was still alive in there, that he hadn't just died. Cecile bit her lip, there had to be something that they could do to find out if Suzaku was still alive.

It was enough to make her want to laugh, suddenly caring for the young man who claimed to be from her adopted son from the future. While Lloyd believed wholeheartedly that time travel was scientifically possible, Cecile was far more skeptical. She would accept it on television, but no where else. She preferred the sciences where she could touch and see rather than those where she had to go on faith.

Cecile jerked upright at the sound of footsteps, glancing at the door before looking at Lloyd. The scientist had stopped his impatient bouncing to stare down the hallway. Cecile sighed and ducked her head for a moment, hating that she had gotten worked up over the sound of footsteps. She would have heard the door opening first.

She sighed and raised her head, tensing as she saw Gino rushing towards them, staring at the familiar uniform of the Knights of the Round before standing up. Her hand dropped automatically to her gun, Cecile pulling it out easily and aiming it at Gino's chest.

It was strangely gratifying to be able to stop the man in his tracks with that simple movement, Cecile pushing that thought quickly out of her head. This was about protecting Suzaku, nothing else. "What are you doing here?"

"What?" Gino glanced at her before dropping his gaze to the gun and raising his hands above his head. "Not armed, see?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you two." Gino jerked his head towards Lloyd as he spoke.

Cecile tightened her grip on the gun, relieved when the weapon stopped wobbling. "Why?"

"Cecile," Lloyd strolled over to her side, resting his hand against the top of her gun and gently pushing it down, "let's listen to what he has to say."

Gino looked relieved. "I was told that you were here when I asked about Suzaku."

"Why?" Cecile tried to bring the gun up again, gritting her teeth as Lloyd kept his hold on it. She glared at him before jerking away, slipping her gun back into place before crossing her arms.

Gino shook his head, giving a nervous laugh. "Because I was worried about him. Why else?" His eyes narrowed. "I'm a Knight of the Round, loyal to the emperor."

"So were the others, and that didn't stop them."

"Cecile."

"Shut up, Lloyd!" Cecile glared at him before gesturing to the door. "He's in there."

Gino followed her motion, staring at the doors for a long moment before shaking his head. "But…what…"

Lloyd sighed and pushed past Cecile. "To alleviate your confusion, Suzaku is in there. Our little devicer broke."

"He's not a machine, Lloyd! He's a human being! Don't talk about him like that!" Cecile glared at the two of them, a little shocked at her own outburst. She swallowed and flopped back onto the bench, dropping her head to rest in her hands.

She heard Gino give a long sigh, turning her attention to the two men and back to the light over the door. The two of them could argue all they wanted. She reached back to where her gun was, running her fingers over the barrel. She wasn't willing to trust Gino just yet, not after what had happened this morning.

Cecile shifted position on the bench, scooting farther back so she could use the wall as a backrest. To her right Gino and Lloyd were still conversing in low tones, Cecile guessing that they were doing that to avoid her anger. She shook her head, tipping it back to stare at the ceiling before closing her eyes.

If only she had refused to let Suzaku take the Lancelot out. She could have made him wait for help or at least found one of the other working Knightmares to give him backup. Then maybe she could have taken out Luciano before all of this could have happened, then he might not have gotten distracted during the fight.

She didn't care how it happened or if half of the government compound was destroyed, she just wanted Suzaku to be safe. She still didn't quite believe him when he said that he was from the future. She was a scientist first and foremost, time travel couldn't be possible. But Suzaku had been a welcome change from Lloyd, someone compassionate and always smiling. He had even been willing to eat anything she made, even though they both knew it would taste horrible. But it was nice to have Suzaku around, and to suddenly realize that he might not be...

Cecile was sure she had whimpered because she felt a hand on her shoulder, the warmth and pressure lingering there for a moment before going away. She didn't bother to open her eyes, it didn't matter which of the two men were trying to give her comfort, mostly because she was willing to bet that it wasn't Lloyd; he wasn't useful in situations like this because he just didn't understand.

She tipped her head to the side, finding a comfortable position before allowing herself to settle. She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew she was tipping over.

Cecile started upright with a yelp, glaring at Lloyd as the scientist smirked at her. She pushed him away, not wanting to hear about how she was a heavy sleeper and his calculations showed that she would wake up when tipped to a certain angle.

Lloyd happily relinquished her, stepping to one side before going back to leaning against the wall, Cecile staring at the place that he had chosen. Hadn't Gino been standing there before? She shook her head, glancing over at Lloyd. "How long?"

"Mmm, two hours. Maybe three? I lost track." Cecile nodded slowly, getting a glimpse of a pad of paper in Lloyd's pocket, the corner that she could see covered in scribbles. She looked back up to see a pencil tucked behind his ear. Lloyd took a step to the side, Cecile focusing on him again. "Lord Weinberg left an hour ago, probably reporting to the emperor."

Cecile nodded, turning to stare at the doors only to jump as she realized that the light was off. "How…"

"About a minute."

She sat up straight, running a hand through her hair to straighten it out. There was a crick in her neck and her back hurt from the uncomfortable position, but that didn't matter at the moment. If the light was off then that meant that they would be getting news soon.

A bout of nausea followed that thought, Cecile wrapping her arms around her stomach. Suddenly, no news sounded better than any news at all. If they didn't know, then she could still think that Suzaku was alive and well instead of dead. She would even take crippled over dead, just as long as they got Suzaku back.

Cecile lurched to her feet as the doctor came out, staring at the bloody gloves that he pulled off before daring to look at his face. The doctor didn't meet her gaze, pulling down the mask he wore and taking a deep breath.

"Well, doctor, how's our little devicer?"

Lloyd ducked the punch aimed at him, Cecile glaring at him before turning back to the doctor, suddenly struck by how worn out the man looked. Weren't doctors supposed to look happy after they saved someone's life? If he was looking depressed and worn out, then that could only mean it was something bad. Cecile shivered as the doctor gave a long sigh before motioning them into the room.

She followed the man closely, Lloyd ambling in on her heels. She held her breath until she heard the tell tale beeps from the heart monitor, turning to face the sound.

Cecile was sure that she squeaked, ducking around Lloyd to hurry over to where Suzaku lay, pressing a hand against the yellow plastic cover. She relaxed as she saw that he had been cleaned up, only getting a glimpse of a bandage on his left shoulder, the sheet covering the rest of him.

She was pulled away by the doctor and sat down on a stool, Lloyd back to leaning on the wall. The doctor looked at the two of them before clearing his throat, reaching over to push that button that would retract the yellow cover. Cecile waited until the cover was gone before reaching out to tentatively touch the back of Suzaku's hand, slumping when she felt warm skin under her fingers.

The doctor smiled at her, walking around to the other side of the bed, picking up the clip board as the end of the bed as he did so. "He's rather lucky, if he had moved at all, that drill would have gone through some organs. Thankfully, the damage was minimal."

"Minimal?"

"For what happened." The doctor looked up at Cecile before reaching out to gently tug the sheet down to Suzaku's waist. He consulted his clipboard for a moment before pointing at the bandage that was wrapped around Suzaku's chest. "There were broken and cracked ribs all up his right side, along with a long section of skin missing. We've stitched it up the best we could and we're hoping that the skin will just grown naturally again. If it looks like his whole side might end up as scar tissue, we'll consider something synthetic." The doctor gave a sympathetic shrug before turning his attention back to the clipboard.

"We're having the same worry about the line of skin across his sternum, but we've stabilized the bone there as best as we could, for preventive measures only. There were a few places where it looked like it would give, so we decided to take the safe route. As for his shoulder, the tip passed through the space between the scapula and the clavicle, but there was extensive damage to the bones. It's going to be a while before he regains the use of that shoulder, and it might bother him for the rest of his life." The doctor checked his clipboard one more time before pulling the sheet up again. "What had us worried mostly was the loss of blood and those ribs. He remained stable throughout the operation and should last through the night."

The clipboard was put at the foot of the bed, the doctor glancing at the two of them. "He shouldn't wake up for a while longer. And he probably won't be in his right mind for a few days, he's going to need some strong painkillers."

Cecile nodded, not looking away from Suzaku as the doctor walked out. Only when she heard the door close did she reach up to pull the sheet a little higher, tucking it snuggly around Suzaku before settling back. She managed to have a moment of peace before Lloyd laughed, Cecile turning to glare at him.

The scientist just grinned at her before walking forward to gently ruffle Suzaku's hair. "Looks like you missed a chance to go to heaven, Suzaku Kururugi."

He turned and walked out of the room, whistling to himself and ignoring the glare that Cecile threw his way.

She sighed and settled back in her seat, smiling to herself as he just watched Suzaku breathe. It was going to be hard in a few weeks, dealing both with Suzaku and Lloyd, but she could ignore that for now. She was sure that she would get the emperor's cooperation on what she asked for, even if it was to keep Suzaku away from the A.S.E.E.C hangar for a while to make sure that he healed properly. Cecile was not going to have Lloyd rush this just to get his favorite devicer back. Besides, this just might get Lloyd to focus on the projects that he needed to focus on instead of having him play around with improvements for the Lancelot.

But everything was going to be fine because Suzaku was fine. More than fine, he was alive and nothing had gone horribly wrong.

Cecile heaved a sigh of relief, pushing her hair back behind her ears as she smiled at him. "You put us through a lot of worry, you know that, Suzaku? Don't ever do that again." She laughed and shook her head. "I'll get a promise out of you when you're awake though."

She rested the tips of her fingers against the bed, tapping them gently against the sheet before forcing herself to sit back. She would stay for a while longer, as an excuse to keep from having to pull that cover over Suzaku again; it reminded her too much of a coffin. And she also didn't want to go back to the hangar and face Lloyd, he would expect all of them to continue to work at full capacity despite the fact that they had lost one of their colleagues. For now, Suzaku's room was the safest place to be.

Cecile settled in for her vigil, lulled into a state of calm by the beeping of the heart monitor and the steady rise and fall of his chest as Suzaku breathed.


	16. Chapter 16

** Chapter Sixteen **

_November 7, 2017_

Lelouch barely lasted an hour before kicking his pillow viciously off the bed. It wasn't the same, it was too soft and he didn't even like cuddling in the first place.

He rolled to his other side, glaring at the wall before shutting his eyes tightly. He had managed to drag himself out of his room once his shaking had subsided to give a few half hearted orders, enough to keep everything from completely falling apart. That was all he had managed before dragging himself back into his room and collapsing; he couldn't even get himself to go and visit Nunnally. It was something that would have to be put off until the morning, when he could find a way to explain what had happened to Suzaku.

Lelouch felt his throat tighten at the thought of the knight, groaning and pressing his face into a pillow. He had managed to keep his mind from Suzaku for this long, but suddenly he couldn't stop thinking about him.

The bed was too cold without Suzaku there, and there wasn't the usual comforting presence close by. Even Suzaku sleeping on the couch was better than Suzaku not being there at all. Lelouch kept shifting so he could see the door, finding himself watching it and waiting for the assassin to come in. Now would be the best time, after all, after the rebellion and after the emperor was all alone.

He shook his head, kicking the covers off of him and sitting up in bed, pressing his back against the headboard. He pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he stared at the door. It was stupid and a waste of his time, but he couldn't get over the fear that something would come in and kill him. Then it would all be over, and he wouldn't even get the chance to save Nunnally.

Lelouch shook his head and forced himself to uncurl. He was just being ridiculous now. The guards around the building were doubled and all of those who had refused to help with the rebellion were being held in the barracks to wait for their punishment, Lelouch was still deciding on a number to kill to set an example. Everything was as peaceful as it could be for the moment. But that still didn't mean that everything was right.

He muttered a curse before sliding out of bed and walking over to his closet. Lelouch stripped, pulling on a long sleeved shirt and a pair of black slacks before jamming his feet in shoes. If he wasn't going to sleep then he might as well do something useful with his time. Lelouch paused long enough to grab a jacket before walking out into the hall.

It was a simple trip down to Nunnally's room, Lelouch opening the door just wide enough to see that his sister was asleep in her bed. A quick glance to the side showed a female guard in the room. The woman's eyes widened at the sight of him, Lelouch satisfied when he saw her put her gun away before bowing. He gave a sigh of relief before pulling his head out, shutting the door behind him. Nunnally was safe for the night, so he could finally relax.

He turned to head back to his room, but froze right in front of the door. Lelouch hesitated for a minute before turning away with a muffled curse. He stormed down the hall to where the elevator was, stepping inside of it before pressing the button for the bottom floor with a bit too much force. Lelouch crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the door on the way down. He just wanted to be able to go to sleep, it wasn't too much to ask. But there was something nagging at him, something that was keeping him from his cold bed.

Lelouch stormed out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, walking out of the building without a second thought. It was only when he felt the cold night air that he stopped, shrinking back into the shadows.

He couldn't trust anyone anymore, not after that uprising. Walking across the open space between the administration building would be stupid, perhaps one of the stupidest things that he had ever done. But he couldn't sleep, not without knowing that…that…

He shook his head and started walking, keeping his arms wrapped around him. Just a little peek would be enough to satisfy him, then he could go back and sleep.

Lelouch sighed, ducking his head and gritting his teeth. He wasn't good at fooling himself, and it annoyed him. He didn't want to admit how much seeing Suzaku hurt had affected him. He didn't want to admit how off he felt without Suzaku around, because that meant that he was becoming emotionally dependant on Suzaku. Then Suzaku wasn't just a friend, he was something closer to a favorite, a lover. Lelouch groaned and ran a hand through his hair. It had gone too far and he hadn't even noticed it.

He slowed down at the small hospital, glancing around before entering. Lelouch felt his heart start pounding faster, watching as the woman sitting behind the desk looked up at him. He was surprised by the soft smile that she gave him as she stood and bowed. "Your majesty."

Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, feeling his throat go dry. He quickly snapped his mouth shut and looked away. He heard the chair rattle as the woman sat back down, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Her smile hadn't disappeared, but she was focused on something in front of her. He looked away again before she could realize that he was staring at her, dropping his arms to his side as he began to walk towards the hallway.

"He's in the third room on the right." Lelouch stopped at that, turning his head to look at the receptionist, not quite able to manage a smile. She had already looked away, Lelouch licking his lips before walking quickly down the hall.

There were no guards outside of Suzaku's room, Lelouch frowning as he keyed in the command to open the door. They hadn't even bothered to lock the door. As soon as it was possible, Lelouch would move Suzaku to somewhere safer, somewhere closer. He nodded to himself, glancing up and down the hall once more before slipping into the room. He spared a moment to look around the room, checking for anything out of place before hurrying over to where Suzaku was.

Lelouch fumbled for the switch to push back the yellow cover, having to look away from Suzaku. It was too much like when his mother had been shot. She had just laid there under the cover, and Nunnally had been separated from him most of the time. He couldn't stand the things.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the cover was back, Lelouch collapsing into the chair close to the bedside. He reached out, his hand hovering over Suzaku for a moment before he contented himself when holding Suzaku's hand. The bed was far too narrow to fit the two of them, Suzaku was still too hurt and Lelouch was still too proud for him to admit that he wanted nothing more than to curl up close to Suzaku. Instead, he scooted the chair closer, keeping a tight grip on Suzaku's hand.

He forced himself to ignore the medical equipment, even the beeping of the heart monitor. It just reminded him that he had been stupid, that he had forgotten the most important rule. If he wasn't leading the charge, how did he expect his subordinates to follow? He had remained cooped up in a safe room while Suzaku had risked his life and almost lost it.

Lelouch glanced down to where the clipboard was, debating if he really wanted to read what was on it. He was sure that he would be told what had happened to Suzaku in full detail later and it would take him too far away from his comfortable spot by Suzaku's side. He settled for leaning forward to rest his elbows against the bed, a smile crossing his face as he watched Suzaku sleep.

There was nothing to stop him from staying all night, especially since no one had thought to put guards up. Suzaku was too important to lose, he was a great Knightmare pilot and a loyal knight. He was…he was… Lelouch ducked his head, gritting his teeth to keep from making a sound. He couldn't keep doing this to himself, Suzaku was just his knight and nothing more. Anything else and it would hurt too much when Suzaku left.

He started as he felt Suzaku's hand move against his, Lelouch looking up from the sheet to stare at Suzaku's face. His eyes widened as he saw that Suzaku was starting to wake up. He stood up and pushed the chair over, his fingers hovering over the button that would raise the oxygen mask. If Suzaku needed it, then Lelouch wouldn't dare to take it away. But he wanted to hear Suzaku speak, to know that he was alright.

Lelouch swallowed and glanced back at Suzaku, surprised at the weak thumbs up that he gave. Lelouch closed his eyes and pressed the button, forcing himself to take deep breaths. He really shouldn't have done anything, even with Suzaku's encouragement, but he just wanted to be sure that the knight was alright. He opened his eyes when he didn't hear any coughing or wheezing, slumping when he saw that Suzaku was perfectly fine. "Oh, thank God."

"Lelouch…" Suzaku's voice was raspy, Lelouch wincing at the sound. Suzaku seemed to notice, attempting to reach out for Lelouch only to wince and pull back. "Ow."

"Don't push yourself."

"Right." Suzaku nodded and yawned, shifting on the bed before turning to look at Lelouch. "Why are you here?"

Lelouch stared at him. "You…you don't remember what happened?"

"I do." There was another yawn. "But I thought you would be elsewhere. Safer."

"You idiot." Suzaku tipped his head to the side, Lelouch shaking his head. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Lelouch made a high pitched sound and gestured to Suzaku's body, the knight following his gaze. It took a while for Suzaku to raise his eyes, Lelouch blaming the incomprehension on whatever drugs they had Suzaku on. "Fighting the Knights of the Round? I did it because I wanted to keep you safe."

"Suzaku you don't…" Lelouch groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "That's not what I mean."

"I wanted to keep you safe."

He shook his head, looking back up at Suzaku. "Stop it."

"It's the truth." Lelouch watched as Suzaku slowly moved to hold his hand, the knight's fingers trembling as he smoothed over the back of Lelouch's head. "Didn't want you or Nunnally getting hurt."

"But you-"

"Messed up, forgot to check. My fault." Suzaku shifted awkwardly on the bed, looking disappointed after he settled down. "Wish you would fit on here."

"Suzaku, stop joking around."

"I'm serious. It's cold without you."

Lelouch blushed and ducked his head, clearing his throat. "Stop it, seriously. It's-"

"Embarrassing? But you're cute when you're embarrassed." Suzaku managed a small laugh. "You really are."

Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, shutting it quickly when Suzaku kept brushing his fingers over the back of his hand. "Suzaku…please…"

Suzaku jerked his hand back. "Sorry."

He hated the disappointed look on Suzaku's face, Lelouch biting his lip before reaching out to catch Suzaku's hand. It took him a moment longer before he gently rubbed is thumb against the back of Suzaku's hand, careful to avoid where the IV needle was taped down. "Suzaku, I…"

"I know and you don't have to say it." Suzaku tipped his head to the side. "You're afraid to since your mother was assassinated and Nunnally was injured."

"Suzaku-"

"And it's alright to be afraid." Suzaku was smiling at him, although it was obvious that he was struggling to stay awake. Lelouch tightened his grip on Suzaku's hand, suddenly afraid that Suzaku would fall asleep on him, and then never wake up. It was a stupid, childish fear, but he didn't want to be left alone again, alone in a hospital room with no one who actually cared for him.

To his relief, Suzaku's eyes fluttered open again. "Hey, Lelouch..." The knight reached for him, Lelouch not allowing the one hand that he held to move. Suzaku gave an annoyed sigh, Lelouch feeling Suzaku's fingers brush against his palm. "Come here."

"I can't."

"You're not doing too well there." There was a short tug on his hand. "Come on, Lelouch."

He stared at Suzaku for a while before scooting his chair closer, Suzaku shifting awkwardly on the bed to move his left arm. Lelouch took the moment to duck under it, pressing the side of his head against Suzaku's side. What he wanted to do was to rest his cheek against Suzaku's chest, but the white bandages that were wrapped around it made him wary, he didn't want to cause any more damage.

Lelouch shivered as he felt Suzaku's hand rest against the back of his neck, frowning at the wince that he felt. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Won't. Shoulder is a bit stiff." The fingers curled against his neck, Lelouch shutting his eyes and enjoying the feeling of being so close to Suzaku. For now, he would ignore the pain in his back from the awkward position and the embarrassment that came from knowing that he was so dependent on someone else. He tried to relax as much as he could, barely stopping himself from nuzzling Suzaku, feeling himself blush at that.

Suzaku didn't seem to notice, keeping up the steady stroking of the back of Lelouch's neck. "I still wish you could fit up here with me."

"I'd hurt you."

"I'd survive." Lelouch was sure there was a smile attached to that, rolling his eyes and fighting back a smirk.

He let himself relax under the gentle touches as the rise and fall of Suzaku's chest against his cheek. Lelouch found himself smiling, sitting up slightly before turning so he was facing Suzaku. Suzaku's fingers tracked over his neck before resting on his cheek. Lelouch sighed and leaned into the touch. "I'm going to have to leave soon. It'll cause a panic if I'm found missing."

"No…"

"I'll be here for a while longer." Lelouch reached up to rest his hand on Suzaku, awkwardly tangling their fingers together. "I'm not leaving yet."

"Good." Suzaku yawned, tipping his head back to rest against the pillow with a long sigh. Lelouch felt Suzaku relax under him, sure that the knight was drifting back off. "I don't want you to leave. I don't want to leave."

"Then don't."

Suzaku didn't seem to hear him, Lelouch feeling the knight's fingers stroke over his cheek again before falling still. He smiled, sure that Suzaku had fallen asleep again, which was good. If Suzaku was sleeping, he could slip out easily. And the might finally, finally be able to sleep, since he knew that Suzaku was safe and would live. Tomorrow he would start making sure that Suzaku would be safe until he could move the knight and finish up dealing with the rebellion. Lelouch sighed and let his eyes slide shut again. That could all wait a bit longer, he would enjoy a few more stolen hours before heading back.

He felt Suzaku's fingers twitch against his cheek again, about to open his eyes to see what was wrong when he felt Suzaku sigh. "I don't want to let you die."

Lelouch jerked nearly upright at that, stopping when he saw Suzaku wince. He froze in an awkward position between lying down and sitting up. Lelouch licked his lips, trying to stop his heart from pounding so fast, staring at Suzaku's face.

The knight was asleep, that relaxing Lelouch a bit. Suzaku must be talking in his sleep, the words probably a combination of the drugs and Suzaku's fears.

Lelouch sighed and went to lay back down when Suzaku's eyes flickered open, Lelouch staring at him as the knight smiled. "I think I love you."

Lelouch stared at Suzaku as the knight closed his eyes again, his first instinct to run. Suzaku couldn't have meant that, it was just the drugs talking. What they had was a relationship based on mutual trust and convenience. Suzaku was the one that he trusted, the closest thing he had to a best friend, so it was logical that Suzaku would be the one that he slept with when the urge took him.

He took a deep breath before settling back down, staring at Suzaku before allowing his eyes to close. For now, he would just push that unease away, he could worry about it when he was working tomorrow. It was something that he could use to distract him from Suzaku, which would be very helpful. Without Suzaku in the room with him, he wouldn't feel safe. Lelouch sighed, trying to shut his brain off. He was safe here with Suzaku, everything would have to wait until the next morning.

* * *

 _November 8, 2017_

Gino knocked on the door to the emperor's study, waiting for a reply for a few moments before keying in the code to open the door. He waited until the door had slid all the way open before stepping into the study and bowing.

When Lelouch didn't call him up from his bow, Gino looked up in surprise, raising an eyebrow as he saw that the emperor was just staring at his desk. Gino cleared his throat, surprised when Lelouch jumped. His eyes widened as he saw Lelouch reach up to press a hand against the back of his neck with a wince. Gino stood up and strode over to the desk, leaning on it. "Your majesty?"

"I just slept wrong." Lelouch waved him back, settling in his chair.

Gino hesitated a moment, watching Lelouch carefully before taking a step back. It was easy to fall into his usual position. He was aware that Lelouch was carefully watching him, ignoring the stare as he waited for the emperor to speak.

Lelouch coughed before standing up and pushing his chair away. Gino watched as the emperor circled around his desk, Lelouch stopping halfway through the motion. He had a moment to wonder at the casual nature of the action before he ducked his head. Of course Lelouch would be casual about this, Suzaku was the one who was usually here. And if the rumors were true about the two of them…

"Sir Weinberg, I find myself in need of a guard. And, considering your former position as the Knight of Three, you'll find that you need a way to earn back my trust."

"Former?"

Lelouch raised an eyebrow before reaching back to snatch a paper from his desk, holding it up. "As of now, the Knights of the Round are disbanded. I won't give a chance for such a rebellion to happen again. Before, I would have merely changed the title and some of the privileges of the group in accordance with the new laws, but now I find that I have to take more severe actions. So, the Knights of the Round are no more. Your title as a knight will remain and your oath will still be in effect."

"Ah." Gino relaxed his stance a bit, managing a short laugh. "So I'm filling in for guard duty? Alright. At least I don't have to drag myself back home and explain how I earned the emperor's hatred."

Lelouch shook his head, dropping the document back to the desk before leaning on it. "Your duties are simple enough, to stick close to me until I retire for the night. There will be guards posted outside of my door. I won't need you to remain in my room."

Lelouch's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment, Gino feeling himself relax a bit at that. He immediately bit his lip to keep from asking about Suzaku. The Knight of Seven had been allowed in Lelouch's room. In fact, Gino didn't know if Suzaku had slept anywhere else. And there was the question of how much guarding Suzaku could really do in that position.

Gino felt himself blush, looking away to get himself back under control. "I understand."

"I have given Dame Alstreim the same offer, but to act as Nunnally's guard."

"But I thought Jeremiah was-"

"I have given him the task of dealing with the army. His experience in that area is useful." Lelouch walked back around to his chair and sat back down, leaning forward to lean against his elbows. "Until Jeremiah is finished with his task, Anya will guard my sister. I'm confident that she can carry out the task."

"Yes, your highness."

"I am, of course, aware of her little moments, but I think Nunnally will be a good influence." Lelouch managed a smile at that before straightening up.

Gino watched as Lelouch turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, shifting in place before taking a step back. He assumed the knight's usual position between the door and their charge, unable to stop himself from glancing at Lelouch.

It was easy enough to guess that this position was a front. That Lelouch would ask him to do this said enough. If Lelouch hadn't trusted him, Gino would have been dead the day before with the remainder of the Rounds. This was just a show for the rest of the world, and Gino was thankful for it. He didn't want to spend the rest of his time waiting around for the call that would bring him back home to be berated on the situation at home. This would guarantee him a few months until Suzaku recovered.

That thought made his budding smile disappear, Gino glancing over at Lelouch before returning his gaze to the wall. He knew he was just a replacement for Suzaku, something to satisfy those that surrounded Lelouch and wanted the emperor to stay in power. He felt a curl of fear in his stomach. What if Suzaku never recovered, or was too crippled to work in this capacity any longer? Not only would it hurt Suzaku more than the Eleven would ever let on, but it would make him useless around the administrative building. And, if Lelouch kept Suzaku here, then he would be considered nothing more than the emperor's play thing.

He looked at Lelouch, watching as the emperor concentrated on the work in front of him. It was probably the reason behind Lelouch working, despite how exhausted he looked. Lelouch was trying not to think about it, or at least distracting himself from the idea.

Gino ducked his head and sighed, shifting into a more comfortable position. Of course Lelouch would chose now to work himself to death, it was the only way that Lelouch knew to distract himself; which meant that Gino's duties wouldn't be confined to making sure that Lelouch was safe. He reached up to run a hand through his hair, considering the job he had accepted.

It didn't matter much in the end, it was still keeping him away from home and close to the emperor. His parents couldn't complain about that. And, he was sure that Lelouch would be visiting Suzaku many times over the Eleven's recovery period, so he would still be able to see his friend. Maybe he could escape from his fiasco with something that would keep him away from the homeland. That would be the perfect outcome to this situation, a way to keep him away from home and Suzaku's full recovery.

* * *

Cecile walked quickly down the hall of the hospital, jerking to a stop when she saw the two guards posted outside the door to Suzaku's room. The three of them stared at each other for a while before Cecile fumbled for her ID. The card was shown to the guards, one staring intensely at it before she was waved into the room.

She clutched the ID to her chest, turning to look over her shoulder as she stepped into Suzaku's room before breathing a sigh of relief. It was probably overkill to have the guards there, but it made her feel better. Suzaku had earned enough hatred from the Britannians and his own people to warrant them. Cecile allowed herself a little smile before slipping her card back into its place and hurrying over to Suzaku's bedside.

She was relieved to find that the cover was pushed back and Suzaku was awake, although he was still looking a little drowsy. It took him a long while for him to recognize that she was there, although he gave her his usual bright smile when he did realize who she was. Cecile returned the smile and flopped down onto the stool.

"Hey Miss. Cecile." Suzaku shifted slightly, rolling slightly to one side.

Cecile reached out to stop him, remembering at the last minute to avoid his shoulder. She rested her hand against his side instead. "Suzaku, your shoulder."

"I know, it's fine right now." Suzaku winced as he stretched, settling a moment later. "It hurts however I hold it."

Cecile bit her lip, folding her hands in her lap and staring at the ground. It his shoulder was hurting now, when they were pumping pain medicine into him, how badly would it hurt when they started weaning him off of it? And, with the list of injuries, would he be able to actually use his shoulder again, or even be able to work again? She wasn't sure if Lloyd would want Suzaku around, especially if he couldn't pilot the Lancelot. And Lelouch certainly wouldn't want a guard that couldn't function, even if the rumors were true. Which meant that Suzaku would have no where to go after this.

And it wasn't even his fault, it was the fault of the army and the Knights of the Round. And, if she even dared to think it, the fault of the emperor himself. Lelouch was the one who had ordered that the aristocracy be disbanded. The Rounds would have never risen against the emperor if he had done that, and Suzaku wouldn't be lying here.

She jumped as Suzaku rested a hand on her arm, looking up at him in surprise. He shook his head, a fond smile on his face. "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Blaming yourself. You always do that." Suzaku pulled his arm back, Cecile watching as he carefully settled it on the bed. "When I got sick, you were always freaking out because you thought that it was your fault, somehow."

Cecile stared at him, not quite comprehending what he was saying. She had been willing to accept that Suzaku had come from the future when he didn't talk about it. It had been very easy to forget, because Suzaku just seemed to naturally slot into place in the A.S.E.E.C, he didn't fumble around like she would expect someone from the future to do. But when he started talking about it, she couldn't deny it.

And it felt strange to have a boy, younger than she was, know her so well. There were often moments when she was sure that Suzaku understood where she and Lloyd were going with their in depth discussions or could just know when she was having a bad day. None of her coworkers knew, and they had worked with her longer. It was disconcerting to have someone know her so well while she knew nothing about him. And it was impossible to not believe that he was from the future when Suzaku did something like that.

"I…I don't understand."

"Even if it was one of those bugs that were going around at school, it was somehow your fault." Suzaku rolled his eyes, keeping the smile on his face as he turned back to look at her. "But it isn't."

"I shouldn't have given you the key."

"It was my choice, Miss. Cecile." Suzaku winced as he shifted again. "I wouldn't even be here without you, so I had to save you."

Cecile stared at him, watching as Suzaku drifted off. She leaned forward, placing a hand on his forearm, waking him up. Suddenly, she had to know, had to know why Suzaku knew her so well. He had told her once before, but she had to hear it again. If it was the same story, then it was true. If it was the same story, then maybe she could try to begin to make sense of what was happening. "Suzaku, what do you mean?"

"Miss. Cecile?"

"I know you're tired, Suzaku, but please tell me, what do you mean?"

"About saving you?"

"No. About you not being here without me."

Suzaku stared at her, Cecile worried that he was too out of it to understand. She wanted to curse her luck for not using his lucid moment. She breathed a sigh of relief when he perked up again.

"Oh, you adopted me."

"That's all?"

"No." Suzaku chuckled. "I probably would have died if you hadn't. I was sick."

"How sick?"

"Nothing horrible. Cold or something like that." Suzaku gave a dismissive flick of his fingers. "But I couldn't eat and I was freezing. I would have died. But it wouldn't have mattered."

"Suzaku!"

"I was just another kid, no one really cared about me until you. So, until then, it didn't matter."

Cecile swallowed, clinging to his arm. "Does it matter now?"

"Of course." Suzaku stared at her, slowly shaking his head. "You're here, with Lloyd and Lelouch and Nunnally. I have to protect you." He frowned after that, staring at her before sighing. "And I have to go back and save you."

"Go back? To the future, you mean?"

Suzaku nodded. "I have to wait here a little longer before I can go back. I have to make sure that everything happens the way it's supposed to. But then I can save you."

"Save me from what?"

"Bunch of kids." Suzaku frowned, managing to hold the expression for a moment before he yawned. "Idiot kids with guns. Because you're Britannian."

"What?"

"They hate you because you're Britannian." Suzaku turned to look at her, suddenly serious. "But I won't let them hurt you, Miss. Cecile, I promise you. And I won't give them the chance to hurt Lloyd again."

Cecile blinked rapidly, trying to piece together what Suzaku had told her so far and process the information that she was being given. "What do you mean?"

"They-Hey Lloyd."

Cecile turned around quickly, staring at Lloyd as he ambled into the room, a bowl in one hand. The scientist raised an eyebrow at her before turning to wave at Suzaku. "How's my favorite devicer?"

"Completely out of it." Suzaku gave them both a wide smile.

"Still pumping you fill of drugs?" Lloyd chuckled at the enthusiastic nod that he was given. "Enjoy it while you can, they'll be pulling you off of them to keep you from becoming addicted."

Suzaku made a disgusted face, Lloyd laughing and leaning on the back of Cecile's chair. "I'm stealing Cecile away. She knows where the data is hidden."

"Alright. Bye, Miss. Cecile."

Cecile struggled as Lloyd pulled her up from her seat, finally managing to jerk away from the scientist by making a threatening gesture towards his bowl of pudding. Lloyd cradled the bowl close and skittered away from her, Cecile glaring at him before stepping close to Suzaku's bed. "Are you sure you'll be alright? Do you need anything? Will you be lonely?"

"I'm fine. And Lelouch already came to see me." Cecile frowned at that. Visiting hours had just started when she had come in, and she had passed Lelouch speaking with Jeremiah on her way here. She distinctly remembered passing the emperor because of the shock that came from seeing Gino with Lelouch instead of Suzaku. She was inclined to think that Suzaku had hallucinated the visit, but the sincerity in his smile made her rethink that. Lelouch was the emperor after all, he could probably visit Suzaku whenever he wanted. He was probably the one behind the guards at the door.

"I'll be back later to check on you, if Lloyd lets me go."

"Be gentle with him. He's probably still sad about Lancelot."

Cecile laughed and walked out of the room, amused that Lloyd nearly leapt across the hall, hunching over his pudding protectively. She gave him a long look before turning and storming out of the hospital. She could hear him running after her, stepping to the side to allow him room to dash past before.

Lloyd glanced at her, tucking his bowl under his arm and looking at her. "It's not considered right to carry out interrogations on injured men."

She gasped and turned to look at him. "It wasn't like that."

"Of course not." Lloyd was staring at his spoon, giving the utensil a last lick before pointing it at her. "Don't ask about the future. It's no fun if you do."

Cecile shook her head. "Maybe for you. But I want to know."

"So you can prove him wrong?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "I know you're not the type to believe this sort of stuff, at least not in real life but you should know the theories. Besides, who's to say that what Suzaku says will happen?"

"But-"

"If it's something bad then you will try and change it, which is something I won't allow you to do." Lloyd brandished the spoon at her again before dropping it into the bowl and tipping his head back. "Suzaku isn't trying to change anything."

Cecile shot him a sideways glance. "How can you be sure?"

"He doesn't talk about it."

"He doesn't talk about a lot of things."

"Cecile," Lloyd shook his head, "he'll dance around the topic of other things, but exactly what he is doing here is something he does not talk about." He smiled while she stared at him incredulously. "You have to know your machinery, Cecile, every sound it makes and inconsistency. How else do you know when it's not performing as it should? Our little devicer is hiding a lot more from us, and I will not be the one to drag it out of him. And neither will you."

"But…" Lloyd was already striding away, Cecile standing and watching him walk away. She would never understand how Lloyd could be so at ease with the temptation of knowing his future right in front of him. Then again, Lloyd had always paid more attention to the present than anything else. But Lloyd was still human, in some manner.

She shrugged, sighing before walking towards the hangar. Lloyd would expect her to be doing something the moment he arrived, whether or not she was actually there. And they had a lot to do. There were eleven Knightmares to fix, unless Lelouch ordered them not to repair the Knightmares of the Rounds who had rebelled. That wasn't counting the repair and file backups that they would have to do on the two main computers that had barely escaped being completely destroyed. While she was at it, she would have to check the time machine as well, just in case something had happened to it. But the time machine would be on hold until Suzaku was back on his feet, which would be a long while.

She felt her shoulders roll forward at the thought of the work ahead of her. At this rate, she would be stuck in the hangar for as long as Suzaku was in the hospital, which was a good thing. She would have plenty to occupy herself with instead of spending hours worrying about the boy. Even if he was lying about being from the future, something she wasn't too sure of anymore, it would be horribly lonely without him around.

* * *

Cornelia stepped into the room that had become their meeting room in the old house they had commandeered for their headquarters. The rest of the Black Knights were spread out in the abandoned village nearby. From what she could tell, the house came from one of the Britannian nobles, probably one who had decided to get out of Area 11 before the war came to him. The Elevens had probably fled to the surrounding cities to try and get work. But that just meant that they could use the buildings, which were mostly serviceable.

She carefully shut the door behind her, glancing at the group of people that were sitting nervously around the table. All of the leaders of the Black Knights hadn't gotten to their hide out yet, a few were still behind with the rest of the Knightmares, making sure that their precious war machines didn't break apart en route.

Cornelia sat down at the table, meeting the gaze of all the men there, smirking when only Tohdoh and Ohgi held her gaze.

It was Ohgi who cleared his throat and stood up, nervously pulling on his shirt. "We've gotten news, unconfirmed, that the Knights of the Round have been disbanded."

"What?" Cornelia and Tohdoh were the only ones to remain in their seats, the rest of the group standing up in surprise. She sighed and settled back into her chair, listening to the others shout at Ohgi, all of them trying to get their opinion in. It was a wonder that the Black Knights hadn't collapsed. Although, at this point they were doing nothing more than retreating to regroup, there was hardly anything that they could mess up at this stage. Lelouch had given them the room to retreat and they had taken it.

She looked up, meeting Tohdoh's gaze. The two exchanged a nod before turning their attention to Ohgi. Neither Cornelia nor Tohdoh wanted to step up into the place of command that Ohgi held. Cornelia was a Britannian, and only here because it guaranteed that Schneizel would help them, nothing more. If she tried to take over the Black Knights she would be killed instantly. Tohdoh preferred to remain in command of the Knightmares for reasons that Cornelia didn't know, and she wasn't sure if Tohdoh would ever tell her about them. So that left Ohgi in charge.

Ohgi called for silence, having to wait for five minutes before the others sat down, most of the leaders glared into submission by Tohdoh as order returned to the room. Ohgi muttered his thanks before sinking into his seat, rubbing his hands over his face. "It's just a rumor from the city, we haven't had any concrete evidence. What we do know is that the Knights of the Round were seen in their Knightmares above Tokyo before they were all destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Cornelia sat up straight at that. It was impossible for the Knights of the Round to be destroyed, they had always been around. She had read their history, preferring the stories of the Rounds that the princess stories that Euphy had always begged her to read. Since their creation, the Rounds had been undefeated in battle, Britannia's greatest warriors. There was no way that they could be beaten so easily.

She narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down. It was probably just a trick. Lelouch was trying to lure them into a false sense of security. If they thought the Rounds were dead, then the idiots who led this group would bully their way into another attack and get them all wiped out. Lelouch would never give up his greatest weapon, not when there were still royal heirs who could take the throne from him.

Cornelia clenched her hands into fists, resting one arm on the table. "It has to be a trick."

"I agree." Tohdoh spoke up, lifting his head to glance at Ohgi. "No commander would disband their most efficient force."

"How would he fool the people of Tokyo into believing that their Knightmares were destroyed without crippling himself?" One of the men down the table spoke up, tipping his head to the side. "It seems to elaborate for Lelouch."

Cornelia bit back her reply, tapping her fingers against the table. The man had a point. While Lelouch would like to lure them into a false sense of security, it was probably not a viable plan. If he used the real Knightmare Frames then he was essentially grounding the Rounds. If he used fakes, it was a waste of time and it could be easily discovered.

Which left the one thing that none of them had been contemplating.

Cornelia's eyes widened. She pushed away from the table and stood up, walking to the wall and leaning on it. In front of these men, she refused to pace. Without a map to trace her fingers over, she paced when she thought. For now, standing still would have to do. She crossed her arms and ducked her head, closing her eyes.

They were all doing what Lelouch wanted them to do, believing that nothing he did was by accident, that he knew everything from the start. But she knew that he was just as human as the rest of them, she had grown up with him. What they wouldn't think that this was something that Lelouch hadn't foreseen, that it was a mistake. If that was the case, then they had a bit more breathing room, and a better chance of defeating him when they went up against him again.

Cornelia looked up, ignoring the astonished looks that were sent her way. "How were they destroyed?"

"You can't be serious. This is just a trick to try to-"

"Lelouch wouldn't go through this much effort to trick us and leave it to rumor. If he wanted us to think that the Rounds were completely destroyed, we'd have seen it first hand." Cornelia stormed over to the table and slapped her palms on it. "It'd be worth the effort then. Now, coming to us as second-hand knowledge, it's worthless. So, he's made a mistake. Now, Ohgi, how were they destroyed?"

Ohgi shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. Some said they just saw the Knightmares explode. Others said they saw a white Knightmare."

"White Knightmare?"

Ohgi nodded. "Actually, if they could specify, they were sure it was a white Knightmare that fought the Rounds."

Cornelia glanced down the table before straightening up. "The Knight of Seven."

"Who?"

"Suzaku Kururugi, your knight. Although I think it's safe to call him a traitor since he's made no move to contact us again or turn the emperor from his plans." She raised an eyebrow as the men at the table flinched. While none of them had actually agreed to the knighting of Kururugi, they had supported it with their silence. General Katase had thought that having a knight within the system would grant them the edge that they needed. But he had been wrong, he had allowed an Eleven loyal to the empire to be the one they hinged their whole hopes on. Cornelia smirked, glancing down the table again. "He's the only one that pilots a white Knightmare. And only a Rounds Knightmare would get an upgrade like a float system so early. You did say they were above Tokyo, Ohgi."

Ohgi nodded again, Cornelia nodding with him. "So, Kururugi was the one to beat the Knights of the Round. Until we confirm it for sure this is the only truth we have."

"But, why? He's chosen the emperor over us. Why choose to desert us now?"

"We can't know." Tohdoh straightened up in his seat, glancing around the table. "I don't think we will ever know about Kururugi Suzaku. He's admitted to serving the emperor of his own volition, so he's following his morals and values, which makes him hard to predict."

"What if we put a spy close to him?" Ohgi spoke slowly, Cornelia watching the man as he shifted in his seat. "That way we could learn more about him and use him to our advantage. He's the closest one to the emperor, so we could get extra information too."

Cornelia exchanged a look with Tohdoh before sighing and shaking her head. As much as it could help them or how much they wanted it, the idea of a spy wouldn't work. Especially now after the incident with the Rounds, whatever it was. But, it wouldn't stop them from attempting to place a spy there. She glanced around the room, watching everyone else nod. Of course they would be willing to take this chance, it would shorten the war they had to fight. Plus it would make Schneizel nothing but a back up plan, something that she didn't blame them for. She didn't quite trust Schneizel either.

She drummed her fingers on the table one last time before sitting down, listening as the leaders threw around ideas on how to try and get close to Lelouch. None of their plans would work, or they were offering up their best people, which was immediately shot down by her and Tohdoh. To her relief, the idea was quickly scrapped.

"So we're back to the start. What do we do?"

Ohgi scratched the back of his head before throwing his hands up into the air. "I don't know."

"The best thing to do would be to follow Schneizel's directions." Cornelia held up a hand when they started to protest. "I'll admit that I don't like including him as much as you gentlemen do. He may be my brother, but he's too much like Lelouch for my taste. We may get rid of one tyrant and replace him with another. But Schneizel is the one with the allies and the power, both of which we need."

There were nods from around the table, Cornelia standing up. "Now, we've got the rest of our Knightmares coming in. If you would excuse me…"

She didn't wait to be dismissed, just standing up and walking out of the room. She had asked just to be polite for her fellow commanders, but she was still a princess of Britannia. She was sure that the others would come to speak with her or at least see the rest of their Knightmares come in. In the meantime, she was sure that they would stay in there and try to come up with ideas, all of while Cornelia was sure would be scrapped. They would end up doing exactly what Schneizel had advised them to, because there was no better idea to be had.

Cornelia sighed, making her way through the hallways. The Knightmares would be going between the mansion and the village, the best place for them to be stored. But it was still out in the open, which had her on edge. With the Knightmares in the open, it would make the maintenance more difficult. She rubbed a hand over her face, shaking her head. She couldn't complain, she could have been in Lelouch's hands, and dead. There was no question about that.

If Lelouch got his hands on any of them, they would be dead within the week. They had dragged the war on for too long and they would pay for that. Euphy already had paid that price.

Cornelia shivered, pressing a hand against her mouth as she tried to hold back her tears. She couldn't cry here, she was a strong leader who wasn't mourning for her sister. There was no room for that, not with the war going on. Sorrow for Euphy would have to be in stolen moments. Cornelia sighed and wiped the tear that had escaped from her face, taking a deep breath.

At the moment her focus had to been on getting their Knightmares in and figuring out what had happened in Tokyo. The others were right when they insisted that they needed someone in Tokyo that they could rely on, that way they would get information from the capital quickly; but they were wrong in thinking that they would need a spy. Still, it was easy enough to talk to Tohdoh about the need for an information network and then speak to Ohgi. The others were useless anyway.

She bit her lip, that just left figuring out which person should go, and that process would take a while. It was a good thing that they had Knightmare repairs to look after and other plans to make. It would keep the idiots busy while the real commanders worked.


	17. Chapter 17

** Chapter Seventeen **

_November 8, 2017_

Suzaku woke up slowly as he heard the door open, sure it only took a few seconds. His smile wavered when he saw that Lelouch had already walked into the room and taken the stool from the wall. The painkillers were making him function more slowly, something that he wasn't used to. There was still some part of him that protested being sick because it was weak, and weakness would get him killed. It was the only remaining thing of the street mentality that he had left, the one that that he couldn't get rid of.

He grunted and shifted on the bed, tempted to stretch because of the ache in the muscles, remembering at the last minute that it was real pain. No amount of pain killers would help him if he tore stitches or pressed his broken ribs further into his body.

Suzaku sighed, turning his head to the side when he felt Lelouch cautiously lift up his hand from the bed. He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of Lelouch stroking the back of his hand. "Mmm, hello. Missed you."

"Suzaku?"

He hated the way he seemed unable to stop from saying everything that popped into his head. Of course, he could always blame the drugs he was on later. Then there were those moments where he felt less in control of himself and didn't clearly remember, usually just before he started to drift off to sleep. Suzaku hoped that he would be able to deny anything he said during those moments, especially if it had something to do with the future.

"Sorry. It's lonely here."

"I bet." Lelouch laughed, leaning forward.

Suzaku smiled, unable to stop himself from leaning into the touch as Lelouch rested a hand against his cheek. "Wish I had something to do other than just lie here and sleep."

"I wish I could…"

Suzaku opened his eyes at that. "How's everything going, in the empire, I mean?"

Lelouch's hand dropped away, the emperor staring at the wall for a while before shaking his head. "It's too early to tell. But it's not for you to worry about."

"Of course it is." Suzaku tried to sit up, settling back down when Lelouch glared at him. "The Rounds rebelled and there's no one to protect you or Nunnally."

"Gino."

"What?"

"Gino is protecting me." Lelouch looked away. "It's his way of winning back my trust. Anya is guarding Nunnally while Jeremiah is busy."

"What about now? When you come to visit me, who guards you?"

Lelouch shifted nervously before shaking his head. "There are guards here."

Suzaku hummed, settling back and staring at the ceiling. He wanted to scold Lelouch for doing this, an emperor was more important than a knight, especially since he had others to guard him. But he couldn't quite get past the fact that he missed having Lelouch around, missed touching Lelouch. That thought was all consuming, especially while Lelouch was here. He swallowed and closed his eyes, suddenly wanting to hit his head against something.

He had done something stupid. He had become attached to someone in the past, someone he had to make sure would die.

Suzaku swallowed again, slowly opening his eyes. He called it attachment, but there was a large possibility that it was something more. In fact he was sure that it was more. His life was worth something now, it had been worth something since Cecile had taken him in. But even more so now, he was the only one who could save Lloyd and Cecile from those kids. So he couldn't just throw it away the way he would have liked to. There were so many people that he wanted to be able to save, so many people that he could save if he just strayed from his original plan. It was too late for Shirley's father, but there were other people.

But he couldn't, not with the expectation that everything would remain the same. The world couldn't be under Britannia's control, it had to be good and peaceful or else Suzaku was at a loss of what to do. He had already changed too much to hope for any other plan to work. And there was nothing he could do at this part, not for his friends and not even for himself.

He bit back the whimper that tried to escape. Lelouch wouldn't think anything of it, he would just think that it was from pain. But Suzaku still had a little of his pride left, he didn't want Lelouch to even think that he meant so much to him. It was just another person that Lelouch could lose, and he needed Lelouch to be as strong as possible.

Suzaku swallowed and forced a smile on his face, adding a chuckle for good measure. "Well, at least Gino has something to do." He grunted as he shifted, noticing that Lelouch reached out to touch him. "You can trust him, Lelouch. He's a good guy."

"I know." Lelouch huffed and settled back down. "But he has to prove it to me."

"I trust him."

"I know."

"And if I trust him, he must be trustworthy to some degree."

"What did he do, bribe you to say this?" Lelouch chuckled and leaned forward, smiling at him. "I was fine before you came along, Suzaku."

"I know." Suzaku sighed, hating that he could feel himself drifting off. Now he would have to watch what he said, for what little good that would do. He smiled as Lelouch reached forward hesitantly. Lelouch was still cautious about touching him.

Suzaku's eyes widened as Lelouch touched his cheek, unable to stop himself from speaking. "I need…"

"What Suzaku?"

He turned his head, kissing the pads of Lelouch's fingers, feeling the emperor start. "I really do miss you."

Lelouch laughed, the stool scrapping over the floor as he stood up. Suzaku looked up as Lelouch braced himself on the bed, staring at him. Lelouch flicked Suzaku's hair away, Suzaku laying still and letting Lelouch do what he wanted.

It was a while before Lelouch spoke, his hand resting on Suzaku's cheek for a moment before dropping to rest on the pillow. "It's strange not having you around. Much quieter."

"So you do miss me." He was sure that his smile was sloppy, already sinking into that pleasant haze that came with a new dose of painkillers. And, damn it, he wanted to be able to speak to Lelouch normally for once. He didn't want to give too much away.

Lelouch just hummed in response. He started to back away, Suzaku panicking and reaching out to grab Lelouch's wrist. "Not yet."

Lelouch stared down at Suzaku's hand before smiling, Suzaku feeling himself relax at that. He was so afraid to let Lelouch go, there was too much riding on this one person. Lelouch had admitted to coming here alone, so there was a gap where Lelouch wasn't protected. So much could happen during that time, and Suzaku would be powerless to do anything. He tightened his hold on Lelouch's wrist. "Don't go."

"I can't stay here all night."

Suzaku nodded, letting go of Lelouch's wrist. He shouldn't have been so willing to let Lelouch travel between the building and the hospital alone, but it would allow him to see Lelouch. The emperor wouldn't come down here during the day for reasons that were escaping him.

He bit back a groan, not wanting Lelouch to worry about him. He hated this. While the painkillers were welcome, he didn't like losing everything that he wanted to say. There were more things he wanted to tell Lelouch, important things that were getting lost in the thoughts about how close Lelouch was, how he missed being able to hold Lelouch at night and how much he wanted Lelouch to be in bed with him at the moment.

Suzaku smiled, glad when Lelouch leaned close to him again. "Of course you can't. They need you. And there's no where you could sleep…unless you want to sleep on the floor."

Lelouch gave him a disgusted look. "The emperor doesn't sleep on the floor."

"Right." Suzaku lifted his head to brush their noses against each other, enjoying the surprised look on Lelouch's face. He tipped his head to the side, not wanting to risk shrugging. "Just wanted to."

Lelouch stared at him, Suzaku watching Lelouch's eyes dart between his own eyes and his mouth. He thought he heard Lelouch mutter something, but that thought was swept away as Lelouch leaned down to kiss him.

The kiss was light and perfect, everything Suzaku didn't want it to be. And he was annoyed because he couldn't reach up and just grab Lelouch's head and pull him down; it still hurt too much to move his arms away from his sides. Suzaku forced back a grimace and kissed back aggressively, whining when Lelouch pulled away.

The emperor stared at him for a moment before leaning back down to kiss him, one hand pushing into Suzaku's hair to keep him in place. Suzaku moaned his appreciation, opening his mouth for Lelouch's tongue. He would allow Lelouch to be in command for a while, then he would push back. He couldn't have Lelouch thinking that he was completely useless.

He felt the bed sag a bit as Lelouch knelt on the edge, the emperor balancing there before swinging a leg over Suzaku. Lelouch didn't press himself up against Suzaku, keeping himself braced carefully above Suzaku. "You alright?"

"Fine. Just, please…"

Lelouch nodded, shifting his hand before leaning over to kiss Suzaku again, Suzaku settling for wrapping his fingers around Lelouch's wrist. The longer he kept Lelouch focused on him, the longer Lelouch would stay. He would be able to just enjoy Lelouch's presence instead of thinking endlessly on the mistake he had made. It's what he would have to do from now on, just enjoy the little moments and put off thinking about the end.

Suzaku whimpered, blinking when Lelouch sat up, the emperor looking panicked. "Did I hurt you?"

"No." Suzaku gently squeezed Lelouch's wrist. "No, it's just…" Lelouch leaned forward, resting his forehead against Suzaku's. Suzaku smiled at that. "It's nothing."

Lelouch didn't look convinced, but he didn't move from his place. Suzaku sighed and closed his eyes, stroking the fingers against Lelouch's wrist, resisting the urge to check for a pulse. Lelouch was still alive now, that's all that mattered.

Lelouch was alive with eleven months left to live. That had to be enough time for Suzaku to find something to remember when he went back.

* * *

 _November 17, 2017_

Kallen clambered down from where she was cleaning up the Guren from the latest repairs as Ohgi walked towards her. She jumped to the ground as soon as she was close enough, resting a hand on the Guren's leg to steady herself. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

"You've left us alone for the most part, so I assumed that everything was fine."

"It is." Ohgi nodded emphatically when she gave him a suspicious look. "Nothing has changed. We don't have the force to change any of our plans."

He sighed and turned to lean against the Guren staring at the other people working. Kallen raised an eyebrow before looking away. If Ohgi wanted to come out here to avoid the other people he was working with, she would leave him alone. She didn't blame him one bit for wanting to get away from the rest of them, especially since they were going over the same thing and getting the same result, nothing. They wouldn't even listen to Tohdoh.

She sighed, tensing as Cornelia walked past, probably heading to her Knightmare. But the Britannian princess had been known to try and talk to them, probably trying to lure them onto her side again. Kallen narrowed her eyes, looking away when Cornelia turned towards her. She understood that they needed to trust each other to be able to fight efficiently, and she did trust Cornelia that much. But it was a different story when she was outside of the battlefield, then Kallen was just another Number.

Kallen rolled her eyes, tucking the rag that she held in her hand into her pocket, glancing up at the Guren. The Knightmare was mostly repaired, just a few more wires to connect before running the machine to make sure that all the connections were right. It was the best she could do until Rakshata and the others caught up to them, which would probably lead to another overhaul of the Guren. They certainly had the time for it now.

She rubbed the back of her neck with a sigh, suddenly realizing how dirty she was. She had been working on the Guren for days on end, collapsing when she was tired before staring again. And that was just the Guren alone, the rest of the pilots had been following the same pattern to get the rest of the Knightmares away from Narita before Lelouch struck against them.

"The rumors are true."

"Hm?" Kallen straightened up, turning to look at Ohgi.

He sighed and rolled his shoulders, straightening up. "The rumors about the Knights of the Round are true, they've been disbanded."

"Why? It doesn't make any sense."

"Reports say that they rebelled against the emperor. Apparently, they were suspicious that the Knight of Seven was the one who murdered the Knight of Five and Princess Euphemia."

"But she was working for us!"

"The emperor didn't know that, and neither did the Knights of the Round." Ohgi raised one shoulder in a shrug. "But what they thought made sense. Still, that's one less thing that we have to worry about."

Kallen hummed to herself, turning to look at the Guren. "Did you tell Schneizel about this?"

"No." That got a smile out of Ohgi. "Even Cornelia agreed that it would be better to wait until Schneizel got the word himself. That way, he can't delay whatever he's working on."

"Smart move." Kallen smiled before jumping back onto the Guren, sitting astride the Knightmare's bent leg. "Cornelia doesn't trust him either."

"I'm just glad that those Knightmares are out of the way." Ohgi gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's eight Knightmares that we don't have to deal with."

"Eight?"

"Only eight of the Rounds rebelled. The other three are still with Lelouch."

"Damn it." Kallen clenched her hand into a fist, glaring out towards the village. That still left that white Knightmare, which was the only one that she worried about. She hadn't fought against the other two Rounds, but one was enough for her. If there were two others that would support him, then they were in trouble. Kallen could take one, as could Cornelia, but that left them without someone to take on the third knight. They could always move Tohdoh from his place with the rest of the commanders, but she wasn't sure how their leaders would take it. Besides, Tohdoh was probably the only one that was keeping the rest of the leaders on an even keel. Still, if they had to… "We could use Tohdoh with us."

"We need him to plan out the battles."

"I know. But if the knights do show up, we'll need him, or we'll lose more Knightmares than we can afford." Kallen sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest, balancing carefully. "If we could just take out the rest of the Knights of the Round, then the rest should be easy. Those are their best Knightmares."

"I know, but we can't risk our commanders, we can't just pull them out of the air like Britannia can."

"You risk me."

"Against my better judgment."

Kallen laughed, reaching down to swat at Ohgi, purposefully missing. "Nah, I would make a horrible commander."

"You're doing well so far. Tohdoh tells me that he hardly ever has to tell you where to go. You've learned to read the battlefield."

"Then maybe we can switch." That got a laugh out of Ohgi, Kallen grinning. "I wouldn't mind being able to relax."

"Maybe we will, one day."

"You mean if Schneizel comes through."

"Yes."

She sighed glancing towards the horizon before shrugging. "Then we just wait and listen."

"That's the plan so far. They're still trying to come up with some way to fit a spy into the imperial household."

"There's no way. We were counting on that with Kururugi, but we lost that." Kallen frowned at the thought of the Eleven knight. He was just like them, so why was he siding with Lelouch? Tohdoh had confirmed that there was no family named Kururugi that reported themselves in danger and Kururugi himself had said that he was serving the emperor of his own volition. Kallen just couldn't wrap her mind around it. After all that had been done to them, he still chose to side with Britannia.

"I agree." Ohgi's voice made her jump, Kallen turning to stare at him as he leaned back against the Guren. "We won't be able to get a person inside with Lelouch, but in the city is close enough. Anything that goes on there, we'll know about. Besides, all we need to know is if Lelouch plans to attack us, we can't do much more."

"No…"

"Don't worry, Kallen, we'll be back to full force soon enough." Ohgi sighed, Kallen watching him push away from the Guren and stuff his hands into his pockets. "We might just win this time."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know, just a feeling."

"Well, I hope it's right. I just put a new coat of paint on her and I don't want it scratched."

"I can't promise you that."

Kallen grumbled and threw the cloth at his head, laughing as she slid off of her Knightmare to retrieve it. Ohgi was probably just trying to make her feel better, and those that had been listening around them. That was the job that he was best at, keeping up the morale of the group. Not that he was a horrible leader, he wasn't confident enough to stand on his own without a group behind him.

She reached down to grab the rag, tucking it into her belt. She had a few hours before anything happened, and people would come to get her if she was needed. The only people that would ask for her now were Tohdoh and Cornelia, and the latter was more interested in her own Knightmare. Besides, the princess would be too focused on the politics and the strategies that she was here in the first place for.

Kallen snorted and clambered back up onto the Guren, looking over the gaps in the armor to be sure that there weren't any wires peeking out. Hopefully she would get this done before night fell, she didn't want to spend another day bent over the joints of the Guren; her back was already complaining.

She climbed back into the cockpit, tossing the rag onto the tool box that she had stashed in there. Kallen dropped into the pilot's seat, tipping her head back. Just a few more tests and there would be one more Knightmare ready for battle. She would just move on to the next Knightmare and continue the pattern. Kallen groaned and let her hand flop down. She just had to keep reminding herself that it was all for the greater good. They would need all of the Knightmares if they wanted to go up against Lelouch and hope to win.

* * *

Gino followed Lelouch as the emperor walked across the open space between the administrative building and the hospital. He kept glancing around, tensing at every person that looked their way. He didn't know how Suzaku managed to do this and still be so chipper, even he was getting worn out. Of course, that could be because he had gotten this duty after an attempt to overthrow Lelouch or because there was so much more riding on him doing his duty than Suzaku.

He believed that Lelouch trusted him, but Lelouch was the emperor and never had to explain his actions. So if Gino was on a trial basis, it meant that Lelouch didn't trust him completely. Suzaku had, somehow, earned Lelouch's trust quickly and had kept it by keeping himself away from the Rounds; something that Gino suddenly wished he had thought of doing. It would have been easier on him than putting up with a moody emperor.

He knew that Lelouch visited Suzaku at night, most of Lelouch's guards probably knew that. Gino was sure that Lelouch spent most of the night with Suzaku, meaning that the emperor only caught a few hours of sleep before he woke up to try and stabilize the empire. Knowing Lelouch, there were other things that he had planned for Britannia, but he couldn't attempt anything yet, not with the aristocracy in ruins and the economy threatening to drop. Gino knew that Lelouch would never let it get too bad, but that was when Lelouch was in top form.

The Lelouch he saw daily was listless. It wasn't laziness and it was nothing that would impede him from ruling Britannia. It was just a combination of sleep deprivation and worry, and Gino didn't know what to make of it. He had known Lelouch for a while now, and the emperor had always been commanding and confident. Now, Lelouch was just patching up problems when they came up instead of thinking ahead. Most of his time was spent just slumped over his desk, Gino suspecting that he was sleeping half of that time. The rest of the time was devoted to worrying about the one man that Lelouch trusted.

Gino forced a smile onto his face as they walked into the hospital, raising a hand to wave at the receptionist. Lelouch didn't even look at the woman, Gino having to walk faster to keep up with the emperor. He raised an eyebrow at the two guards in front of the room, shaking his head. It was just like Lelouch to go overboard. The aristocracy was still in shock, and would be until their money disappeared. A few of the smarter families were already adjusting to the change in their status and Gino was sure that his own family was one of them. But most of them would just cling to their way of life and wait for their emperor to have mercy. It was a mercy that would never come, not after the Knights of the Round had nearly killed Lelouch's favorite.

Because that's what Suzaku was, Lelouch's favorite. It was too obvious to ignore.

He sighed as they stepped into the room, glancing around out of habit. There were two guards outside of the door, so this check wasn't necessary. Lelouch wouldn't anyone close to Suzaku that would hurt him. Still, habits were hard to break. When he was satisfied that the room was safe, he allowed himself to look over at the bed, taking an involuntary step back when he saw Suzaku lying there.

It wasn't normal to see Suzaku like that, pale and obviously in pain. Gino swallowed and edged closer to Lelouch, the emperor not even looking back at him as he held onto Suzaku's hand. Gino scooted away from the two of them, allowing them to have their moment together. He wanted to see what the injuries were. No one had gotten the full report and Lelouch would only tell him that they were bad. He picked up the clipboard at the end of the bed and scanned through it, frowning as he had to puzzle his way through the medical jargon.

He dropped the clipboard back into place, stepping towards Lelouch as the door opened, watching as a doctor walked in. They had probably alerted the staff since Lelouch was here during normal visiting hours, which meant that Lelouch finally wanted to hear what exactly was wrong with Suzaku.

Gino looked away briefly, glancing at the clipboard and feeling his hands tremble. He should speak to Lelouch before anything happened, he was sure that Lelouch didn't want to hear what the doctor had to say. But it wasn't his place, and that's what chafed at him. He could always ignore the impulse, like he always did, but he wasn't sure about Lelouch anymore. The emperor hadn't seemed to mind his treatment of etiquette before, but that was when Lelouch had trusted him.

He looked down at the floor as the doctor bowed. "Your majesty. We're honored by your presence here."

"I owed Sir Kururugi a visit, especially after the loyalty that was shown to me." Gino looked up to watch Lelouch, tensing at the subtle movement towards Suzaku's hand that Lelouch made, the emperor stopping himself at the last minute. Gino held back his wince, carefully locking his gaze with the doctor. Now Lelouch could do whatever he wanted, the doctor would be focused on him instead of the emperor.

Lelouch laughed, Gino turning to watch as the doctor walked to the end of Suzaku's bed. "I admit, I got used to him being my personal guard. Sir Weinberg is more than competent, but I do miss Sir Kururugi's company. Do you have any idea when he'll be ready for service again?"

"He might never be." Gino looked back at Lelouch as the emperor jerked, catching the horrified expression on Lelouch's face before it was hidden. The doctor seemed not to notice it, flipping through the papers on Suzaku's clipboard. "The injuries were extensive and his mobility will probably suffer. If everything goes perfectly, his shoulder will be the only thing that will be a problem."

"And if the recovery isn't as perfect as you say?"

The doctor looked shocked by the anger in Lelouch's voice, recovering a moment later and dropping his gaze back to the clipboard. He studied the clipboard for a while before sighing and letting it drop back into place. "Please understand, your highness, we are doing the best we can."

"I understand. I only want to know if I should continue as I am, which is to assume that Sir Kururugi will be ready for active duty within the next five months."

"Your highness…I think the best thing would to do would to be to sort out Sir Kururugi's pension and reward him for the service that he had given you. I highly doubt that he will be fit for the duties he carried out before."

Lelouch looked up abruptly at that. "What makes you say that?"

The doctor cleared his throat, purposefully keeping his gaze away. "There was a lot of damage done to his right side and chest. His left shoulder should be fine after a period of rest, but it's the side and chest that worry me the most. Neither of them will stand up to rough treatment."

"I wouldn't put him through that immediately after his recovery."

"I mean ever, your highness." The doctor shifted in place. "As of now, he is healing fine, but I can't speak for the state of his ribs and chest when he's put back in active duty."

"But from what you know, he's doing fine so far." Lelouch was leaning towards the doctor, Gino hovering over the emperor's shoulder. "There's no reason for pensioning him off."

"Your highness, you don't understand the problems that could come up. If you want Sir Kururugi to be useful for his entire life, it is best that you take him out of active service." The doctor sighed and shook his head. "While his recovery may go perfectly, I doubt that he'll thank you for the quality of his life in his later years."

"Suzaku is strong enough to-"

"Your majesty, his entire right side is being held together by stitches!" The doctor glared at Lelouch, Gino surprised to see the emperor shrink back. "He has two broken ribs and twice as many cracked ones. His sternum barely held up under the assault and there will always be a scar on his chest from where the lance went in. His shoulder was the place that suffered the least amount of damage, but even those bones were weakened considerably. Sir Kururugi may recover completely and be able to function fully now, but in thirty to forty years, he'll be a wreck!"

Gino saw Lelouch flinch, catching a glimpse of the shock on the emperor's face. He reached out to touch Lelouch's shoulder, freezing part of the way through the motion as the doctor bowed. "My apologies, your majesty. But there's no other way to put it. You may want him back as a pilot, but as a doctor I cannot allow that, not if you want him for his full term of service, I suggest you follow my advice."

The doctor bowed to Lelouch again before walking out of the room. Gino glared at the man the entire time, tempted to chase after him and demand that he show the proper respect for the emperor. But he didn't want to leave Lelouch, not after hearing that. And he wasn't too sure how well he could control his temper with that news.

"He doesn't like Elevens." Gino turned around as Suzaku spoke, smiling with Suzaku looked up to meet his gaze. "I hear him talking about it all the time, when they think I'm asleep. But he's a good doctor."

"That's no excuse."

"Lelouch, don't do this."

"He's trying to get rid of you!" Lelouch turned to look at Gino, probably looking for support to back up his argument. Gino gave a slight nod, it didn't look like Suzaku was suffering, he looked extremely chipper for being bedridden. But he couldn't be sure if that was just an act for Lelouch.

Gino scratched the back of his head, making a mental note to check with others in the hospital staff to see if that was the truth. If it was, it would be easier to deal with the news as just someone being malicious. He wasn't sure how Lelouch would take the news if the emperor found out it was true. He sighed and let his hand drop, taking a step back from Lelouch and Suzaku, retreating to stand by the door.

From his position, he couldn't hear what they were saying, just watching as Lelouch bent towards Suzaku. Gino used to think that this kind of attention from Lelouch was reserved for Nunnally and Euphemia, but it seemed like Suzaku had managed to worm his way into that group. Gino smiled to himself at that, at least Suzaku had someone here.

Personally, he wasn't sure how long he could pretend to be here at the emperor's call, his parents had already started demanding that he return home. They no longer supported the emperor, not after what he had done. Gino could try and extend his time in Area 11 as long as possible, his family would eventually find a way to get him back home, they always did. Anya already had Nunnally to depend on, Gino was sure that Nunnally would help Anya through her moments; which left Lelouch with Suzaku.

"Gino." He looked up as Suzaku called his name, the boy smiling and motioning for Gino to come closer. "I know you're on duty, but you are the only one who hasn't visited me."

Gino laughed and strode over to the bed, attempting to look as casual as possible. "I didn't know whether they still had you drugged up. I wouldn't want to hear anything embarrassing from you." Gino winked at him and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know I would tease you without mercy for whatever you said."

Suzaku flinched. "I'm glad you didn't then. I get enough with Lloyd coming in and staring at me. I think he expects me to automatically heal. But that's just Lloyd."

"This is why you join up through the normal channels, you don't get stuck with the crazy ones."

"Lloyd isn't that bad." Suzaku laughed, cutting himself off with a real wince this time. Gino swallowed and took a step back, watching as Suzaku closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. It only took a moment before Suzaku was back to normal, but Gino could see Lelouch beginning to shake. Suzaku didn't seem to notice, just smiling up at Gino. "You just have to get used to him."

"I'll let you handle Lloyd, I'll stick with Anya." Gino winked at him, pretending to check his watch. He wanted to get Lelouch out of here before something happened. He was sure that Jeremiah had been trying to warn him about something during those short conversations that they'd managed to have. "Come on, your highness. We don't want to tire him out."

Lelouch muttered something under his breath, Gino seeing Suzaku's smile widen briefly. He looked away as the two held hands, clearing his throat and waiting for Lelouch to walk past him. Gino followed a few steps after Lelouch, pausing at the door to look back at Suzaku as the boy gave them a small wave. Gino smiled and gave a sloppy salute, glad to have made Suzaku laugh before rushing after Lelouch.

* * *

He had dismissed Gino as soon as he had gotten back to his study, although he was sure that Gino was just standing in front of his door. Lelouch sighed, the sound coming out more like a sob, before lowering his head into his hands.

It had happened again. At least this time someone hadn't been killed, but it had still happened again.

It was his fault his mother had died. If he hadn't begged to eat outside that day, then she wouldn't have died. She had even told him that they couldn't, but he had tried to convince her. Nunnally had loved the gardens at the Aries Villa, and it had been the first beautiful day after a long winter and a abnormally rainy spring of being stuck inside. And, of course, she had agreed to it. Marianne had denied him nothing.

He remembered standing at the top of the stairs, holding the hand of their nurse as they waited for his mother to come out from the patio. She had gone outside to see if the rain from the night before would prevent them from eating out in the gardens and to inform the guards of the change. Lelouch hadn't known about the threats made toward Marianne at the time, his mother had just told him that there were bad people out there that had wanted to hurt them. He had taken the increase in guards without much thought, except he found it strange that Cornelia with included. But, then again, she had wanted to be like Marianne, because his mother had been a knight. He had always been proud that his mother had been a knight before marrying his father, because it meant that she had done something before marriage aside from sit around and sew like his father's other wives.

Lelouch closed his eyes, pressing the heels of his hands against them. He remembered that Nunnally had wiggled out of their nurse's arms to run down the stairs. Lelouch had come to the edge of the steps then, only relaxing when Marianne had scooped up Nunnally in her arms and had started back towards them. He remembered smiling and laughing, excited about getting to go outside for the first time in a long time.

Then the guards had come. He had thought nothing of it at the time, they were just guards. He had thought that they were bringing his mother news that they had gone into their new positions. He had even been about to walk down the stairs towards his mother, but she had turned to speak with them. Lelouch couldn't remember all of the conversation, not even what the guards had said when they had pulled out their guns. He just remembered shouting for his mother as she turned around to protect Nunnally, and then the sound of gunfire.

He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, shivering and clutching at his clothes. It was strange that he remembered every single moment after that first round of gunfire. The way his mother had fallen across the stairs, the way Nunnally hadn't stopped screaming until that moment. But Lelouch would rather have the screaming embedded in his memory than the look of shock on Nunnally's face. He still didn't remember when the guns had been turned on him, he hadn't been aware that the staff around him had been shot. It wasn't until Jeremiah had come charging in with the rest of the guards that he had even registered what had happened.

He didn't remember anything about the ride to the hospital or even the face of the guard who had stayed by his side the entire time. He had found out later and rewarded the guard for his kindness, but the journey itself was a blur until he had been allowed into Nunnally's room. She wasn't awake when he had gone in, and he hadn't got the chance to hold her hand, not even when she woke up. She had been separated from him the entire time she had been in the hospital. He hadn't even seen his mother aside from a glimpse of her during one of his few trips out of Nunnally's room.

Even their father hadn't come to see her. Lelouch had left the hospital then to demand that his father do something, either visit Nunnally or find out what had happened to their mother. He had left the throne room in disgrace not ten minutes after he had arrived, his father refusing to do anything. He had returned to the hospital then, stubbornly insisting that he had to stay with Nunnally.

They had been told that they were going to Japan by one of the Rounds, and Lelouch had been too shocked to argue. It had only been after he had gotten to Japan that he had sworn revenge on Britannia. His father had only been added to the list when Charles had attacked Japan while they were there.

From what Lelouch had found out later, Charles had been pressured into attacking before he could rescue his children. The Knight of the Round that had told them the message, supposedly from their father, that they had been sent away to keep them safe, and he hadn't even bothered to keep that promise when the nobles exerted pressure. Lelouch snorted, shaking his head. Charles 'safety' had nearly cost them their lives, and it had lost Lelouch his best friend and only ally. But it had given him sympathy with the nobles, the same ones that had wanted to kill him before. It was why the aristocracy had to fall, it was the only revenge that he would allow himself to take.

It wouldn't get him his mother back, he knew that. He had never thought that it would cost him Suzaku as well.

He had thought that the nobles would be in shock longer, and he had never thought that the Rounds would revolt. They were supposed to be loyal to the emperor alone, not to their families. But she should have known, because not all of them were like Gino and himself, their loyalties were towards their families. And he had sent Suzaku out there alone.

He should have sent Gino or Anya out as soon as he realized that the Rounds wouldn't speak with him. He trusted them enough for that because he knew them, he had grown up knowing that they were loyal to him. Instead, he had kept them close, despite the fact that there had been loyal guards around them. He had panicked and froze, because it was too much like the day his mother had died.

Lelouch stood up, walking away from his desk to flop down on the couch, one arm still wrapped around his stomach and the other dangling off the edge. It seemed like forever since that one spontaneous round of sex on the couch, forever since Suzaku had been with him. Lelouch groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, pressing his face against the armrest.

He had to make the next move, before the nobles started to push back en masse. They were still in the Senate, they could still influence the vote and get the Prime Minister to attempt to bully him into giving them back their power. He should be watching the economy now that it was free from the monopolies, or helping it along. But he couldn't do that without thinking about Suzaku and what could happen to him next.

Lelouch had snuck looks at Suzaku's medical information when Suzaku drifted off to sleep at night, so that list of injuries was not new to him. It was the frank report that Suzaku might never recover that had shocked him, despite all the notes on the record that pointed to the opposite eventuality. It didn't matter that the doctor was biased, it was the fact that he would never get Suzaku back.

He had already but his sister in a wheelchair, would he end up ruining Suzaku's life too?

Lelouch sighed, feeling himself shiver, just glad that he hadn't fallen apart yet. But the could feel the break down looming. He had to do something, because he was running out of buffer time, but he wouldn't without remembering how Suzaku had looked when they had carried him from the A.S.E.E.C hangar. And he couldn't do anything.

Lelouch gave another sigh before curling into a ball, trying to control his breathings. He couldn't break down, not now. It would last too long and he wouldn't be able to see Suzaku later. He was exhausted already, a panic attack would leave him out of commission for the rest of the night. Lelouch swallowed and uncurled a fraction, staring at the floor. He couldn't get up and take the next step without thoroughly exploring the consequences. Not doing that had cost Nunnally her legs, Daiki and Euphemia their lives and Suzaku his future.

* * *

 _November 20, 2017_

Nunnally waited for Anya to close the umbrella, glancing back at the rain that was pouring down. She had hoped to have a nice day so she could try and lure Lelouch out of his study. Since it was raining, there was no chance of that. And she didn't feel like working on one of her small projects. She hadn't gotten the chance to visit Suzaku yet, something that had plagued her conscious for days now. She had waited for news about him from her brother or Anya, but they had both disappointed her by not knowing anything. Despite her brother's fear of reprisal for his dismissal of the Rounds, Nunnally was going to see Suzaku.

She turned back around as Anya began pushing her. She was surprised as the receptionist just gestured towards a room, Nunnally's gaze fixing on the guards that were standing outside of it. Nunnally swallowed when they bowed to her, letting her and Anya into the room. Was there something that Lelouch hadn't told her? Was Suzaku really in this much danger that guards had to be posted, or was Lelouch just overreacting? Nunnally bit her lip as Anya wheeled her over to the bed, looking up from her lap as she saw Suzaku stir.

He opened one eye to look at her, staring at her like that for a moment before he shifted. Nunnally swallowed back a gasp as she watched him flinch, Suzaku slumping back against the pillow. "Apologizes, your highness. I would, but I-"

"Don't worry about it, you're hurt." Nunnally reached out to touch him, pulling her hands back. She didn't want to hurt him. She shook her head and folded her hands into her lap. "I don't think that formalities should stand. After all, you've seen Lelouch. I doubt he demands that you bow to him every time he walks in."

That got a weak chuckle from Suzaku, the knight shifting and settling down again. "It's good to see you, Nunnally. I was wondering when you would come by."

"Has my brother?"

"Of course he has." Suzaku nodded slowly. "He doesn't like to come during the day. He's a bit paranoid."

"That's my brother. But he has the right to."

"I know."

Suzaku reached out to hold her hand, Nunnally catching a hold on it. She felt him shiver, gently rubbing the back of his hand. She knew how he felt, vulnerable and frightened; it helped to have a hand to hold. She gave him a small smile, continuing to gently stroke the back of his hand. "Have they told you anything?"

"Depends on the doctor." Nunnally's eyes widened. Suzaku turned his head so he was looking completely at her. "There's one in here that's too good to fire but hates me because I'm an Eleven. He says that I'll never recover. Most of the others are sure that I'll be fine. I'm more inclined to believe them."

Nunnally was about to answer, shrinking back when Suzaku paled and winced, pulling his hand back onto the bed. She leaned forward, watching as Suzaku moved around, probably trying to find a comfortable position. "I'm sorry, have I come between doses?"

She understood how that felt. Lelouch hadn't left her alone when she had been in the hospital, but there were times where she wished that he would. When the pain medication had started to wear off, she had wanted him to leave because she didn't want him to see her cry. Nunnally raised her hand to rest on the controls to her wheelchair. "I could go, if you want."

"You don't have to." Suzaku took a deep breath. "And you're not between doses, you're at the start. They're lowering the doses so I don't get addicted. Although that one doctor wouldn't mind if I was."

"I hope he's not assigned to you."

"No, not after the stunt he had pulled a few days ago."

"Good." Nunnally nodded, finding herself laughing. "That's good. I want to keep you around a bit longer."

"Hm?"

"You're good for Lelouch. You keep him out of trouble." Nunnally leaned forward to touch the back of Suzaku's hand. "Jeremiah has, grudgingly, praised you on occasion because of that skill. I'm surprised that the two of us didn't drive him to an early grave."

"He deserves the best retirement the Britannian royal family can buy."

"I know." Nunnally covered her mouth with her other hand, trying to stop laughing and failing. Suzaku just responded with a smile, Nunnally realizing that he was trying not to laugh, laughing probably hurt. She cleared her throat and tried her best to stop laughing. "So, Lelouch has been down here to see you."

"Every night."

"Well, that's good. I thought he was always stuck in his study all day."

Suzaku looked confused at that, shifting a bit in place. "S-shouldn't he be working on something? It's been days since I've been hurt."

"I haven't heard anything." Nunnally lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "The only thing he's done is disband the Knights of the Round. That's bad isn't it?" She didn't need Suzaku's nod to tell her that.

Nunnally looked away from him, staring at the door. She didn't have the same grasp of politics that Lelouch did, but she did know that he couldn't just do nothing. The nobles would still be mad and there would be nothing ready for the next step. Nunnally didn't know Lelouch's plan, but she was sure that there was more to it than to get rid of the nobles and then do nothing. Which meant that he was scared, he only delayed plans to think and he only thought things through after the initial decision when he was frightened.

She glanced at Suzaku, drawing herself upright in her chair. "Don't worry, I'll speak with him."

"Nunnally?"

"Just get better, alright? He's out of sorts because you're not around." She reached forward to brush her fingers across the back of his hand.

To her relief, Suzaku looked like he was falling asleep. It was better for him to sleep while he still could, he would have enough to deal with later.

Nunnally sighed and backed her wheelchair away from the bed, Anya taking control as she reached the doors. Nunnally folded her hands into her lap, keeping her gaze on them as Anya wheeled her out of Suzaku's room and towards the doors. She only looked up when Anya fumbled with the umbrella, staring out at the rain.

They were in trouble if Lelouch wasn't doing anything. Nunnally wasn't at good at politics as her brother was, but she could read people. By taking their power away, the nobles would attempt to move against them. Lelouch would have aware of this and would have planned ahead, but then Lelouch had gotten scared.

Nunnally took the umbrella from Anya, holding it up as they walked out of the door. She handed the umbrella back to take control of her wheelchair. She bit her lip, allowing herself to slip back into her thoughts. Anya would be ready to protect her if something went wrong. She trusted Anya, probably more than her brother did. Anya was just like the two of them, traumatized by Marianne's death.

Lelouch tended to forget that others had been hurt by Marianne's death. But, then again, Lelouch had spent the entire time with her. And, when they had finally left the hospital, Lelouch had been too caught up in his schemes. He had never inquired into the other people that had witnessed Marianne's murder, but Nunnally had. Half of the allowance that she had been given for the first few months of Lelouch's reign had been used to make them comfortable. Anya had been out of her reach at that point.

In the rare times that Lelouch hadn't been there for her when they were growing up, she had played with Anya. Anya had been sent to their family to be introduced into the court, and she had once been friendly and open. But then Anya had witnessed Marianne's murder, and she had gone silent. From what Nunnally had gathered from the Rounds that she had spoken to, Anya's memory problems had started after that day.

"That upset you."

Nunnally jumped as Anya spoke, too used to Anya's blunt way of speaking to chastise her for it. "A little. I knew he was hurt, but I hadn't even thought that it would be like that."

"It was the Percival's lance."

Nunnally flinched at that, nodding slowly. "We'll have to visit more often. He's probably really bored."

Anya made a soft sound of agreement, Nunnally staring at the administrative building through the rain. She had waited too long to visit Suzaku, for more than one reason. He was a friend, but it had also clued her into Lelouch's mental state, which was just as important. She should have tried harder to get to Lelouch, because he had been keeping her away.

"Anya," she looked back at her knight, "we're going to visit Lelouch. You'll wait outside of his study with Gino."

"Talking privately?"

"Yes. And I want you to make sure that no one listens in or passes on anything that we say." Nunnally waited until Anya nodded before turning her attention back to the building.

Jeremiah had warned her about the staff in the building, he wasn't sure who was loyal and who was against them yet. There had been a few reports, but nothing conclusive. That was probably one of the reasons Lelouch had tried to convince her to remain inside, at least until they learned where it was safe and who it was safe to talk to. Nunnally swallowed and tried to keep her face straight as they entered the building, Anya handing off the umbrella to a maid before pushing Nunnally towards the elevator. It was a wonder that her brother could do this every day, it would have driven Nunnally insane.

She gestured for Anya to wait outside when they arrived at the study. She met Gino's gaze, the blond smiling at her before letting her in. Nunnally muttered her thanks and wheeled herself in, staring at where her brother was curling on the couch. She kept silent until she was sure that they door had closed.

"Lelouch?" She hesitated, finally crossing the room when he didn't answer. "Lelouch?"

He looked up at that, staring at her for a moment before carefully uncurling from his position on the couch, probably trying to get over to her side. But she was faster. She gently pushed him back onto the couch and held his hand. "Are you alright?"

"Of course." He frowned, glancing at the door before looking back at her. "Did you want to eat together? We could eat in the garden."

"It's raining outside."

"Oh." Lelouch looked confused for a moment, slowly sitting up.

Nunnally felt a slight tremor in his hand. So she had been right, he had been afraid. Lelouch only broke down like this when he was cornered and couldn't think of a way out where he'd come out on top.

She squeezed his hand. "It's alright, Lelouch."

"Yeah. Gino isn't that bad and Suzaku is getting better."

"Not that." Nunnally tired to glare at him, but failed. She shook her head and took a stronger hold of his hand. "We used to talk. What happened to that?"

"It's politics. You don't like politics."

"You talked about it with Euphy."

Lelouch stared at her, Nunnally feeling bad that she had caused that lost look on his face. She swallowed and forced herself to continue. "You didn't kill Euphy, Lelouch. It was Raleigh."

"But I promised her that she wouldn't get hurt, that I'd protect her." Lelouch shook his head. "I…I can talk about this to my knight. You don't have to talk about this to get my attention. To you, I'm just your brother."

"Who is also the emperor." Nunnally watched as Lelouch jerked back in shock. "I understand that you're trying to protect me, but you're hurting yourself. Please, Lelouch, don't push me away again."

"Nunnally…"

"You did this before, when you were trying to take over the empire. You left me with Cornelia and Euphy and ignored me. I knew you had your reasons, but you kept me out of it. I was scared that you blamed me for mother's and Daiki's deaths."

"I never-"

"I know, but you never talked to me. And now you're doing it again."

"It's complicated, Nunnally. And there are too many variables, too many things that I can't predict."

"Then try your best."

"It's not enough. It nearly got Suzaku killed."

"But you didn't."

She smiled at the growl that he gave, glad to have made some progress in pulling him out of his slump. Although it was too early to be celebrating, this was only the first day of her confronting him about this. Knowing Lelouch, it would take a while before he actually accepted what she was telling him.

Nunnally stroked her fingers over the back of his hand, using the motion to calm him as she fished for the right words to say. If she was too forward with this, he would balk. But she couldn't just leave him like this, Lelouch had always been there for her when she was frightened or confused. And then there was the rest of the empire, Lelouch had to be thinking about the people who weren't involved with the military or the nobles. Even if she wasn't involved in politics she still cared about those people.

She patted his hand, drawing Lelouch's attention back to her. He looked up at her, finally settling on meeting her gaze when he couldn't distract himself with anything else in the room. "Lelouch, you have to do something."

"I can't."

She bit her lip, carefully meeting his gaze. "Then I'll do something." Lelouch tensed at her words, Nunnally careful to keep a hold of his hand as she spoke. "You can't let this stop you, and I won't let you just sit here. You didn't do this when mother died and you didn't do this when Euphy was murdered."

"Nunnally, there's just-"

"Suzaku isn't dead, Lelouch, and he isn't going to die!" Nunnally glanced toward the door, only aware that she had shouted when Lelouch flinched. She ducked her head, muttering an apology. She cleared her throat, stroking her fingers over the back of Lelouch's hand. "Don't give him up for dead, Lelouch. Please don't, because he's not dead and he's worried about you."

Lelouch stared blankly at her, still shocked from her outburst. Nunnally reached out to touch his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. "Lelouch? Lelouch, please don't do this to yourself, it's not helping. You've been having those panic attacks more because of this, I'm sure of it, and it's not good for you."

When he didn't respond, Nunnally swallowed and gave him another shake. "Give me my brother back, please!"

Lelouch finally stirred at that, looking up from his knees to stare at her. "Nunnally, I can't."

"Don't say that."

"I really can't, Nunnally." He reached up to push her hand from his shoulder.

"Don't say that!" Nunnally grabbing his shoulder again. "You can do anything!"

Lelouch sighed and looked away, Nunnally realizing that she had pushed him too far too fast. She looked down letting go of his shoulder and sitting back in her chair. They sat in silence for a while, Nunnally waiting for him to say something, anything to show her that Lelouch had been pulled out of his funk.

He didn't move from his spot on the couch, Nunnally sighing and backing her wheelchair away. She would just have to try again, eventually. But something told her that she had lost her one chance.

Nunnally knocked on the door, looking back over her shoulder at Lelouch as the door opened. He didn't look back at her, still staring at a point in the distance. She shook her head, looking at the two knights that were staring back at her. Nunnally took a deep breath. "Anya, we're heading back to-"

"Did you mean what you said? About taking action if I don't?"

"Of course." Nunnally tried to hide the waver in her voice. "The longer you wait, the more danger you're in. I've lost my mother and most of my siblings, but I don't want to lose you. I'd do anything to keep you alive."

Lelouch sighed and stood up, still not looking at her. He took a few steps before coming to a stop. "I…I…Give me time, Nunnally."

"You have it." She smiled at him, tipping her head to the side. "Thank you, Lelouch."

He didn't answer her. Nunnally sighed and motioned for Anya to come into the room, resisting the urge to look back at him as she was pushed away. She would have to leave things up to Lelouch now, but that didn't mean that she would just sit and wait for results. Maybe it was time to start planning ahead on her end, just in case something like this happened.

Nunnally folded her hands on her lap, nervously rubbing her fingers against each other. She really didn't know where to start in planning this out. All she knew was that she had to calm the nobles, but it would be taking a step back to give them exactly what they wanted. There had to be a middle ground that would give her their support and not undo everything that Lelouch had done. She supposed that she could promise them that they would be restored after she had calmed the resistance in Area 11, but that would be a lie.

She bit her lip, flinching when she tasted blood. This would take longer than she thought, and she would have to prioritize what she wanted to get done. And it would be hard, choosing between what she wanted and what had to happen. As much as she wanted the world to be at peace, she didn't think that it would be accomplished the way she wanted it. World peace couldn't be gotten just by wanting it, she had seen that. Euphy had come the closest out of the three of them to getting peace, but it had been the Britannians that had stopped her.

And that was the one thing that had stopped her from acting before. When Euphy had died the fact that she was the only one Lelouch had left had stopped her from acting. Of course, that wasn't quite true now, Lelouch had Suzaku as a knight to protect him. It wasn't an improvement if she died, but at least it was someone to stop Lelouch from pushing himself too far.

Nunnally squeezed her hands together, trembling a bit at the thought. She didn't want to die, even if it was peacefully in her bed, because it would be leaving Lelouch alone. Lelouch was the only family that she had left, and she was aware of how dependent she was on him. Although, she wasn't sure how aware he was about how dependent he was on her. Still, if it was for his own good, she would do anything to help Lelouch.

* * *

Lelouch slipped into the hospital room, glancing back over his shoulder before walking over to the stool. Suzaku wasn't awake at the moment, but it didn't matter. He was safe wherever Suzaku was and, for the moment, that was here.

He sighed and leaned forward, pushing a hand into his hair. Right now, he needed to feel safe to be able to think without panicking. He had been trying to think all day in his study, but he had kept thinking back to that image of Suzaku bleeding on the stretcher. Lelouch shivered and lowered his head, pressing his palm against his forehead.

He just wanted to be able to think without dissolving into a panic. If he could do that, then he would be able to work through this problem. That was his secondary reason for coming here. Here he could think clearly about what his next step would be. He already knew that the nobles would just have to be angry about having their positions taken away. His focus should be on the resistance movement, something that would be put off until he could gather his military back up to strength and Suzaku was back on his feet; which meant that he would just have to return to his original plan of shoring up the economy and pushing through a few laws that were meaningless, just to keep up appearances. While he had time, he would begin to frame the new government of Britannia, even if he didn't have anyone to rule the empire after him.

"Lelouch?" He looked up as he heard Suzaku speak, tensing as he watched the knight attempt to sit up. Suzaku flinched and flopped back to the bed, glancing apologetically over at Lelouch. "Sorry, I keep forgetting."

"Don't apologize."

Suzaku sighed and tipped his head back against the pillow. "Lying still is just getting to me. It's kind of boring just sitting still."

"You're insane. I would love to have nothing to do all day."

"Switch?" Suzaku gave him a hopeful smile before holding out a hand. Lelouch took it automatically, leaning over Suzaku.

He was surprised when Suzaku pulled his hand close, resting it over his chest. Lelouch started at the heartbeat he felt there, but didn't pull away. He couldn't at the content look on Suzaku's face. The knight had closed his eyes and looked like he was about to fall asleep. Lelouch sighed and splayed his fingers out over Suzaku's chest, careful not to put too much pressure on the bandage there. "I wish I could."

"The injuries aren't part of the deal, Lelouch."

"I still wish-"

"You're the emperor and it's my job to protect you." Suzaku glared at him for a moment before his expression softened. "Nunnally talked to you, didn't she?"

"She did." Lelouch licked his lips before dropping his head forward. "She was trying to help but…"

"I understand." Suzaku's fingers brushed over the back of Lelouch's hand. "But we're worried about you. You're more important than the rest of us."

He shook his head, Lelouch staring at the ground. He wanted to be able to say that he would give up his life for Nunnally and Suzaku, but his self preservation instincts had become too ingrained for him to openly admit it. He hadn't even tried to save Euphemia when Raleigh had killed her. Instead of answering, he just shifted his hand so Suzaku's fingers fell between his. "Nunnally and I talked, and we decided to wait until you were better before making a move."

It was a lie, but the extra name added some weight to his decision, made it sound like he had made it rationally without a thought about Suzaku. "There's really nothing else we can do until the military has been built back up. And I doubt that Nunnally will allow me to go into battle without you by my side."

"You have Gino?"

"Gino is not good and holding a single point, he was never trained that way."

"Ah." Suzaku nodded slowly, wincing again. "Does this mean you've decided on who will rule after you…disappear?"

"No. There's probably some distant relative that would love to take the throne and with a like mind." Lelouch didn't know how to take the look of disappointment on Suzaku's face, deciding to just ignore it.

He scooted his stool closer, resting his other elbow against the bed. "Shouldn't you know who it is anyway?"

Suzaku gave him a lopsided smile. "I couldn't say, your highness."

"But you did promise me."

"I remember." Suzaku closed his eyes. "I wouldn't forget that and I don't want to lie you to, not after you've gone through so much before."

Lelouch tensed, forcing himself to relax a moment later. "When you say things like that, I'm tempted to order you to tell me."

"Keeps you interested."

Lelouch shook his head. He wouldn't give Suzaku the satisfaction of hearing that, especially when he had sneaking suspicion that it was true. He reached up to push the hair out of Suzaku's face, the move automatic from taking care of Nunnally. Suzaku closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

"Stay, please."

"Of course." There was nothing else to say. He couldn't concentrate in his study and he couldn't sleep in his room. Even with Gino guarding against assassins, he couldn't sleep. The pillows were never in the right places and the bed was too cold. It had nothing to do with Suzaku's presence in his bed. It was stress and him being too picky. Lelouch sighed and sighed so that he could rest his head on Suzaku's stomach, humming in approval as Suzaku dropped a hand to rest in his hair.

"Sleep, you need it."

He might have mumbled something in response, but it could have been Lelouch's imagination.


	18. Chapter 18

** Chapter Eighteen **

_December 5, 2017_

Ten months.

It was the constant refrain in his mind. It had been the constant refrain for the past five days.

Ten months.

Ten months until he could go home, go back to where things were simple and normal.

Ten months until he would have to stand by and let Lelouch die.

Suzaku shifted on his bed, trying to ignore the pain. It had been a constant in his life now that they were pushing back the pain medication to non-addictive levels. He had learned to cope with it, through the many nights that he hadn't been able to sleep and the days that he just wanted to keep screaming in pain. Now he was just numb to the pain.

He glanced at the door, hating that he was so eager for Lelouch's visit. He had already had other visitors, Lloyd and Nunnally, although the latter had come down for only a few moments. It was Lelouch's birthday, and he was stuck here. Stuck thinking about how many days that Lelouch had left to live.

Suzaku rolled his eyes. He had been here for too long if he was thinking like this, thinking about how he was going to tell Lelouch where he came from; which was completely impossible. Just because he was an idiot and had fallen in love with Lelouch didn't mean that he had to lose his head completely. Besides, he had no proof that he was from the future, his predictions about the battle could be chalked up to dumb luck.

He jumped at the sound of the door opening, managing to muffle his shout of pain. He couldn't stop himself from pressing his hand to his right side, ignoring the pain from his shoulder that came from the move. Suzaku hissed out a breath through his teeth, shifting on the bed to find a place where it didn't hurt.

Suzaku breathed a sigh of relief when the pain settled to a dull ache again, finding himself able to relax. He turned his head to look at his visitor, not surprised to see Lelouch there. But it was a shock to see the guilt on Lelouch's face. He attempted to smile, relieved when the emperor just sat down.

"Your party that bad?"

"No nobles." Lelouch shrugged. "And no one wants to celebrate the birth of a tyrant."

"But Nunnally was planning something."

Lelouch nodded, a faint smile crossing his face. "Nunnally had the kitchen make my favorites. She's promised me a present as soon as it's done. But it wasn't much of a party."

"That's a pity, especially on your eighteenth birthday." Lelouch looked shocked, Suzaku clearing his throat. "I'm just sorry I wasn't there. I seem to be missing everything."

"You're missing me spending long hours trying to shore up the economy."

"Well, I am missing you." That made Lelouch start. Suzaku grinned and carefully rolled onto his side, careful to hold his shoulder so it wouldn't hurt.

Lelouch reached out to touch Suzaku's shoulder. "As soon as they give me the word, you're moving back into the building. I don't like having to walk out here every night.'

"God forbid that the emperor doesn't get his beauty sleep."

"You…" Lelouch gave Suzaku's shoulder a shove.

Suzaku obligingly rolled onto his back, surprised when Lelouch followed him, straddling Suzaku carefully. Suzaku raised an eyebrow and settled back onto the bed. Lelouch placed his hands on either side of Suzaku's head, staring down at him. "You know better than to speak to your emperor like that."

"Apologies, your highness."

"Better." Lelouch leaned down to kiss him, Suzaku reaching for him with one hand. He had to settle his hand on Lelouch's arm, unable to lift it high enough to push his fingers into Lelouch's hair. Lelouch didn't seem to mind, allowing Suzaku control of the kiss, probably to focus on balancing over Suzaku. He took advantage of Lelouch's distraction, brushing his tongue against Lelouch's.

But even that wasn't enough to keep out the relentless countdown. Not even when Suzaku managed to pull Lelouch closer. It was still there, an unwelcome reminder.

Ten months.

Ten more blissful months before he could go back to being normal, without Lelouch.

Suzaku whimpered into the kiss. He wished he wasn't stuck here and could move. That way, he could clutch Lelouch close and, maybe, forget.

* * *

 _December 15, 2017_

Schneizel wrapped his hands around the mug of coffee, staring at the runway. Clara Einstein would be returning from her testing of their weapon. They had sent her off as soon as the deal had been made with the Black Knights. He wasn't ready to trust Lelouch to give them a year, he had to be ready. Still, the rebellion of the Rounds was a boon, if he and Cornelia had been shocked by it, then Lelouch would have been devastated.

He turned around at the sound of people speaking. He raised an eyebrow as the Spanish princess carefully made her way towards him, wrapped up in a coat. Schneizel gave her a bow and a sympathetic smile. Her parents had sent her into the mountains with the rest of the royal heirs for their safety. He offered her his untouched coffee. She gave him a grateful smile and returned to her escorts.

Schneizel watched her go back, ensuring that he was just looking worried for her. It wouldn't do to have them looking to tie him to their country through a marriage. That was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

While he never got the chance to speak long with any of the royal heirs, he was sure that he had charmed most of them to be sympathetic to his plight. He would have started narrowing them down to those with access to useful materials, but he didn't have the time or the staff to do so. It had taken a long time to properly train his last aide. It was nearly impossible to contemplate training another aide at this point. Schneizel clenched his hands into fists. He would have to pay Lelouch back for taking away his one good staff member.

He was interrupted from his thoughts at the hum of a motor. He tipped his head back, watching the plane come in. Schneizel smiled to himself, glancing over at the Spanish princess. He was surprised that none of the other royals were out here as well. Whatever Clara Einstein had to say would change the world.

Schneizel stepped back as the plane taxied to a stop. He glanced back to where the two guards were looking after Nina, walking over to pick the young girl up. Now Dr. Einstein would come directly to him, so he would have time to react properly to whatever news he was given.

Fortunately, he didn't have to hold the wiggling girl for long. Clara was the first one off the plane. He put on a smile and walked over to her, gratefully handing Nina over to her mother. Dr. Einstein walked with him away from the plane. Schneizel tucked his hands into his pockets, watching as Clara spoke quietly to Nina. "How was your trip?"

"Excellent." She pushed her hair back with her free hand, settling Nina against her hip. "It worked. We had to tweak it a few times and fix the limiter, but it worked."

"As I knew it would." Schneizel smiled and filed away the fact about the limiter. If they ended up having to fight Lelouch, he would remove the limiter from one and only use it if they were away from densely populated areas. He didn't want to be spoke of as a tyrant like Lelouch was. He wanted people to fear the weapon and not him.

"We'll be able to produce them faster now, but they still need to be launched. They detonated when we tried to launch them from the ground."

Schneizel nodded slowly. So they would have to have some sort of float system enabled Knightmare to be able to launch the weapon. That would pose a problem though, since they would have to put a guard around that one Knightmare. It would work for a single attack, but they wouldn't be able to sustain the guard for too long, they had a limited number of Knightmares at their disposal. The best idea would be to build something with the express purpose of containing the weapon. That way the weapons could be protected, which would leave their Knightmares free.

He smirked, he would just have to incorporate that little detail into the Damocles' design. But that news that the weapon would bring the EU powers to his side. With their resources, he would have no problem making this small change to his plans. All he had to do was present the test results and come up with a few battle plans. Perhaps, he could manage to get a few troops out of the EU as well.

Schneizel stopped at the entrance to their hideout, watching as Clara and Nina walked into safety. He would give her a day to be with her daughter and then another day to write up the report. It was probably a bit more time than she needed, but Schneizel didn't want to chase her away. They still needed her to be on their side. Even then, they couldn't let Lelouch get his hands on her, Clara Einstein knew too much.

He frowned. They would have to plan ahead for if that happened. The best thing to do would be to find a way to destroy Clara, because he was sure that Lelouch would just torment her or kill Nina. It was how Lelouch assured loyalty, or his version of loyalty, by holding a person close to them prisoner and then killing them without telling the hostage. It's how Lelouch had gotten most of the nobles on his side. It was how Schneizel had been convinced to remain under house arrest for two years. At least until his spies had gotten the news back to him that Kanon hadn't been kept alive. By that time Kanon had been dead for a year.

He would be helping Clara by killing one or both of them before they fell into Lelouch's hands. But he wouldn't do this without speaking to Clara, just a little extra insurance that she would try her best to keep away from Lelouch. After all, it wouldn't be a lie to say that Lelouch would kill Nina just to be sure that Clara would remain by his side. There was proof enough for that.

Schneizel shrugged to himself and walked back into their hideout. He could move on now, finally move on to the next few steps in his plan. The first thing to do was to contact Cornelia and make up a battle plan. Having the Damocles functioning as an aerial base would give them the best place to fire on Lelouch, they would cover his aerial and land troops with one shot. And one shot was all that he wanted to have to use, but he knew that it might take more than one to convince Lelouch to surrender.

He would contact the Black Knights as a whole after that, just to get their input. The battle would be in Area 11, and they knew the area better than most. He would give the order to attempt to lure Lelouch away from Tokyo, just to avoid the massive casualties that would come from fighting in a city. Enough people had died in this war already, and it would separate him from Lelouch further.

In the end, that was the main part of his plan. By separating the remaining members of the royal house of Britannia from Lelouch, it showed that they were willing to help the rest of the world. If they were seen as willing enough, then they would get all the support that they needed to overthrow the emperor before Lelouch did something stupid.

Even with everything that the emperor had done to him, Lelouch was still his little brother, the same little brother that had looked up to him and begged to be taught how to play chess. It was hard to separate those two, because Lelouch as the emperor was just acting like Lelouch the child. The world had taken away his mother, so Lelouch was out to avenge himself.

And Schneizel understood that sustained anger. He had felt it when he had thought that his father had killed Lelouch and Nunnally by attacking Japan before they were out. He had felt it a year before Lelouch killed their father when his mother had died, albeit from natural causes. She had never been strong after he had been born. He could only imagine what Lelouch felt knowing that his mother had been murdered instead of dying in her sleep.

But that didn't mean that Lelouch's actions were so easily ignored. Lelouch was wrecking the world just to get revenge, destroying the world and Britannia just because his mother had died. And, as his big brother, the duty had fallen upon Schneizel to stop Lelouch before he took it too far. For all of his hatred towards Lelouch, Schneizel didn't want to see his brother dead, unless there was no other option.

* * *

Lelouch stared at the papers that were scattered across his desk, bits and pieces of plans and ideas for ruling his empire. He sighed and stood up, beginning to gather them into piles, plans that would work, plans that he would have to let go of and plans that he may have time to work in. With Britannia mostly stable again, he could focus on the world itself.

The EU was still a problem, but that was only because of their support of Schneizel. They were still quite willing to allow him to do anything that he desired, as long as they were allowed to go free. Their current strategy indicated that they would do anything to keep Britannia from influencing them, including allying themselves with other countries just because they were enemies of Britannia. But those countries were few and far between.

Lelouch frowned, crumpling up a piece of paper and throwing it towards the trashcan. If the EU couldn't find allies, then they would build themselves up, subtly at first. They would only reveal that they were working on weapons and Knightmares of their own when they were sure that they were strong enough to beat him, perhaps if he was forced to attack the remainder of the JLF soon. His army was already divided from the crippling blow that the rebellion of the Knights of the Round had struck, and the whole world knew that. If he had acted faster, then he could have kept the rebellion a secret for a little longer. But even he couldn't change the past.

With that knowledge, he would have to increase surveillance in the EU as well as the Chinese Federation. While both were openly friendly with Britannia, they were probably waiting for the right moment to swoop in and snatch up Britannia's holdings as soon at it fell. And he couldn't have that.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, bracing himself against his desk. The EU would probably be mollified by an effort from Britannia to give them a bigger share in the world, the European countries had learned from their brief attempts at imperialism that it was often too much of a hassle to keep control of countries that hated them, especially without resorting to what Britannia had done. If the European countries tried to get back their empire, the world would condemn them for trying to rebuild Britannia. But Lelouch wasn't sure that the shame would be enough to hold them in check, which meant that he had to come up with another way.

The EU was more simply solved that the Chinese Federation. While the EU was open to diplomatic talks, Britannia had interfered in the Chinese Federation's attempts to take over Japan to get at the sakuradite mines. The Chinese Federation wouldn't back down if they were just asked, so it would take a little more than diplomacy.

Lelouch frowned, staring at a clear spot on his desk. If he remembered correctly, the current emperor of the Chinese Federation was on his deathbed, leaving his thirteen year old daughter to rule. Lelouch drummed his fingers on his desk, looking up at the bookshelves on the opposite wall of his study. It would be easy to topple with the government being run by the High Eunuchs. It was just a matter of pushing the High Eunuchs further away from the regard of the people and offering the countries a chance to go somewhere else for safety.

And that plan would work equally well for the EU. As long as the countries were united, they posed a problem. But, as separate countries, they could be more easily dealt with. But to do that, he would have to give them enough incentive to want to break away from their superpowers. That too was simple, he just had to offer them a way to stand up to Britannia. With the offer of plenty of support to counteract Britannia's power, the superpowers would break up. And, with enough of an example, they would stay away from the countries that had been a part of the Britannian empire.

Lelouch let out a breathless laugh, glancing up toward the door. Suddenly, he was glad that he had kept Gino outside and that Nunnally was in bed. He had never seriously thought that he would have to use his fake assassination plan after Euphemia had died, it would have just thrown the world into chaos. But now he had a plan, one where he would have to disappear for anything to happen. Lelouch the Demon Emperor of Britannia would never free the Areas from Britannian control or offer the world peace.

His fingers squeaked across the wood surface of the desk, Lelouch expecting to feel the tell-tale shivers of a panic attack. To his surprise, there were none, just relief. If he did this, then he could finally have his revenge, Britannia would be completely destroyed along with the nobles that had run it. The superpowers would be broken apart so another empire couldn't spring up. There would finally be peace. The problem came from making it last.

Lelouch nearly fell back into his chair, staring at his desk. It would be easy to plot out how to give the Areas their freedom and leave them for the next emperor of Britannia. It would be easy to select someone within the royal family who would share his ideas and include them in his will as his successor, he couldn't name a successor while he was alive or it would look like he had planned this.

No, the hard part came from making the peace stick.

He was already part of the way there. By being allowing himself to be hated, the world would avoid repeating what he did. But, thus far, all he had done was slaughter his own siblings and go back on promises that he had made. He was already called a demon and, to make the peace stick, he would have to fully live up to that name. He would have to make the whole world fear what would happen if another like him rose again. Which meant that all the legislation that he wanted to be known for, everything that he had wanted to do for the world, would have to be done by someone else.

He had a few months while his military was rebuilt, plenty of time to lay out a basic plan and start to draw up the laws that his successor would use to keep world peace. After that time, he would have to act. He had to become worse than his father, so the world would remember Lelouch vi Britannia and none other.

Lelouch swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He could easily do that, he could destroy the Chinese Federation openly by backing the High Eunuchs, pay them to keep the current emperor's daughter off of the throne. Of course, he would be secretly backing the rebellion against the High Eunuchs, but the emperor would be seen as supporting the tyrannical regime. Then, he had to turn his attention to the JLF, the remaining resistance group and source of hope. They would all have to be slaughtered or, at least, make it appear that way. Once the remainder of the JLF was captured, he would examine them to see which of them should remain alive so Japan would have a chance to rebuild. He would have to start speaking like he openly supported Euphemia's murder, if not ordered it and kill the remainder of his siblings, in public.

And that meant Nunnally.

Lelouch shivered, shaking his head. He hated to use her like this, but it had the added bonus of getting her away from the government. From this point on, he wouldn't be able to tell her what he was doing, especially since she seemed ready to take over from where Euphemia had left off.

He would have to fake her death, there was no way he was going into exile without Nunnally. He was already losing Suzaku to whatever duty called him back, he wouldn't lose Nunnally. But her 'execution' would have to be public as well, and completely out of the blue, the one thing that would turn the people completely against him. The day that Lelouch vi Britannia went insane.

Lelouch didn't know how he would achieve it and he didn't want to think about it. He would plan it out in detail as soon as he had finished preparing things for his successor. He rubbed a hand over his face, pushing the thoughts of what would come after he beat the JLF away. The only moments he would dwell on the event was when he was planning it and the day of the event itself.

He took a deep breath, turning his attention back to the present. Right now, he would focus on breaking up the superpowers, that was his first priority. After that, it was the specific instructions on how to free each of the Areas and to find a successor far enough down the Britannian line that they would have been away from the influence of the court by still competent. That was just a matter of digging through the genealogy and sending someone to investigate them.

Lelouch glanced up at the door again as he leaned forward to grab a pen, staring at the piles of paper on his desk. He would get a few hours of work before he went to visit Suzaku. Hopefully he would be able to think more clearly in the presence of the knight. If not, then he could just use that time to forget about what he had to do.

* * *

 _December 25, 2017_

Cecile pulled herself out of the driver's seat of the time machine as she heard the door open, surprised to see Lloyd leaning against the doorframe. She cleared her throat and straightened up, stretching to relieve the ache in her back. Cecile glanced at Lloyd one last time before going back to the section of wiring she was working on. She had been sure that she had fixed it, but the wires had set off a spark when she had turned on the car.

She winced as Lloyd came over and leaned on the car, his elbow right on the section that she was working on. Cecile glared at him, reaching out to push him off.

Lloyd smiled and stepped away, circling the car as she went back to work. "You know it's a national holiday."

"It's not really."

"Well," Lloyd laughed and leaned on another section of the car, "our great emperor has decided to keep the traditions of some of his less sane ancestors. And you are here working instead of relaxing at home."

"Home really isn't meant for relaxing." Lloyd had the same small apartment as she did, as most of the scientists employed by Britannia did. But none of them actually spent time there, either because they would rather stay out of the apartments or because Lloyd demanded that they kept the same hours as he did. "Besides, I can't relax right now."

"Too quiet."

"For too long."

"Don't worry, Cecile, our emperor will go back on the warpath soon enough."

Cecile winced. That was what she worried about. The two Knightmares that had survived the attack by the Rounds were mostly rebuilt; they would be calling in Gino and Anya for testing next week. The Lancelot was still a wreck though; Cecile insisted they wait for the doctors to say if Suzaku could even pilot the Knightmare again before they wasted effort on repairing it. In the meantime, she would focus on finishing the time machine.

If things got bad again, she was completely prepared to throw Suzaku into the car and send him back to his own time. She was not going to sit by and watch the boy get hurt again.

"Making progress?"

"Just a few more spots that worry me." Cecile looked up briefly. "I'll do a complete final check after that. Then you can do your test runs."

"Test simulations." Lloyd shook a finger at her. "I'm not giving into the temptation to hop to the future."

Cecile bit back a laugh. "I can't believe you consider this science."

"You believe Suzaku as well."

Cecile blushed and looked away. "Believing and making this science are two different things."

"Not really." Lloyd was back to leaning against the car close to her. "It's just a matter of being able to generate enough energy to open two stable wormholes to send the car through. The speed at which the flux capacitor works is just when it generates enough energy to sling shot it through time."

"Wormholes?"

"That's your science, Cecile. But where's the fun in being able to just generate them and not use them." Lloyd gave the car a fond pat. "That's what this is for, taking advantage of what you know to have something fun."

"Time travel is fun?" She opened his mouth to point out what happened to Suzaku, Lloyd waving a hand to cut her off.

"In a manner of speaking." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I may just have to attach a note to my future self to destroy it."

"Destroy it!"

"Well, not the car itself, but the flux capacitor." Lloyd looked thoughtful for a moment, raising one shoulder in a shrug. "As much as I would like to see events happening instead of just reading about them, the temptation to change things would be too great. Suzaku is probably suffering under some of the same strain."

"But, he's already changed things!"

"He's existing in a world where he didn't before. Of course he's changing things." Lloyd gave her a disgusted look before rolling his eyes. "But he seems to be able keep a hold on himself. Still, even if this sits in the garage for years, someone will find it after a while. It's a shame; the car itself is very much improved with the Knightmare armor on it."

"Maybe you'll go into the car business when you retire."

Lloyd looked scandalized. "That's not science. That's work."

Cecile turned to stare at him, watching as Lloyd fidgeted before finally speaking. "It isn't the car, the car is just a method of transport. It's being able to be the one to take a theory and make it reality. It's the science of the thing, not the actual object once you've done it." Lloyd frowned and tapped his fingers against the top of the car. "I'm probably bored of this thing already in the future."

"Moving onto the next impossible thing?"

Lloyd smiled, leaning back against the car again. "Of course. Rakshata Chawla can handle the possible things."

Cecile rolled her eyes, remembering the Indian woman that she had replaced in her days as an intern. She hadn't gotten the whole story out of Lloyd or the other woman, just that they had fallen out over something stupid and that had made two of the rivals. Although, she was sure that the two of them were rivals just because it was more fun that way, there was always someone pushing the other to work faster and be better. It was better than just plodding along on their own.

She wiped her hands on her lab coat, sliding back into the car. She didn't put the key into the ignition, glancing at where Lloyd was leaning on the car, staring back into the hangar. Cecile sighed and leaned against the backrest of the seat. "So, why don't you ask Suzaku about your future?"

"Paradox, Cecile."

"Aside from that. He won't tell you much."

"Mm, but it's the things that he doesn't tell me." Lloyd gave her a sideways glance before shrugging. "Why pester the boy when he has better things to do?"

"Like pilot the Lancelot?"

"Exactly! Without him, where would we be? Probably stuck on the edges of the battlefield like before!" Lloyd cross his arms over his chest, pouting. "We were lucky that he fell into our laps. My Lancelot wouldn't have gotten this far otherwise."

"I'm sure it would have."

"Yes, but as another Knightmare frame. Now it will be known for being the Knightmare of the Knight of Seven. A Round's Knightmare, Cecile! That's one for the history books. And definitely better than anything Rakshata will come up with."

"This is about you getting remembered?"

"Possibly." Lloyd shrugged. "Partially. It's also about the Lancelot, Cecile."

She rolled her eyes and reached for the activation key, stopping partway through the motion to stare at it. It was identical to the one that Suzaku used for the Lancelot now. She drew her hand back, settling it on her lap. "Why would you still have the activation key in the future?"

"Suzaku wasn't here before." Lloyd gave her a suffering look. "I said that already, Cecile. With Suzaku we make history, without him…"

"The Lancelot is forgotten." Cecile stared at the plates of armor stacked in the corner of the room, the armor from the Lancelot. Lloyd would never have destroyed the Knightmare for something as silly as this, which meant that the Lancelot had been decommissioned. And for the Knightmare to be decommissioned meant that it had been useless before. "He's changing history."

"I told you that too." Lloyd shook his head. "Honestly, Cecile-"

"Shouldn't we stop him?"

"Too late. Lots of things have changed already." Cecile ducked her head as Lloyd glanced over at her. "He has a good reason for this, or else he would have stayed out of the way. If he had wanted to keep everything the same, he would have taken the Lancelot back to us at the start instead of going after the emperor."

Cecile blinked, staring at him with her mouth open. She would never understand how Lloyd was able to come up with these ideas so quickly. She would still be stumbling over the fact that Suzaku had changed their own futures. "But-"

"I would say that he knows what he's doing, but even I doubt that. So we'll just have to trust him. Our future is in his hands."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?"

"Did it work?"

Cecile just rolled her eyes at his wide smile. She turned back to the cockpit, putting the key into the slot and listening to the car start. To her delight, the wiring didn't spark, which meant that everything was right on the surface. She turned the car off, placing the activation key back on the dashboard as she slid out. Now came the final check over all of the wires before they replaced the armor. "Finally."

"Ready to send our little devicer back home?"

"Almost."

Lloyd pouted, curling in on himself. "But, the Lancelot…"

"Will be fine." Cecile glared at him. "I don't want Suzaku getting injured like this again."

"If it's for the best." Lloyd sighed and waved at her absently, strolling out of the room. "We could have done with a little more data for the Lancelot."

"It's wrecked."

"It's fixable." Lloyd smiled back at her, the expression disappearing a moment later as he stared at the armor in the corner. The corner of his mouth quirked up into a smile before Lloyd caught himself. "Although, at this rate it would be easier to rebuild the Lancelot than to fix it."

"What?"

Lloyd was lounging against the doorway now, staring up at the ceiling. "With all the additions that we had planned, it would be hard to keep the proper balance on the Knightmare Frame. Besides, there's that new float system that I want to add on, before Rakshata gets it. The MVS swords can be improved along with the VARIS, and the body of the frame itself could be…"

Cecile tuned him out, busying herself with the daunting task of looking over all the wiring on the body of the car again. Lloyd could go on like that for hours and come up with a whole new list of things that they couldn't put on the Knightmare Frame because it would upset the balance. In fact, it would be better to stop him before he got started, just to avoid dealing with Lloyd pouting for days over his mistake. Why he couldn't just add those improvements to other Knightmares would be a mystery to her.

"So, we'll scrap the prototype version?"

"Scrap my darling Lancelot?" Cecile giggled as Lloyd's voice went up an octave.

"I thought not."

"Of course not." Lloyd glared at her before storming out of the room, Cecile laughing to herself. That had gotten him out of the way for the moment, which meant that she could concentrate on having the car ready for Suzaku when he wanted to go back.

She actually wanted to have it ready by the time Suzaku recovered, as a surprise and an apology for letting him get hurt in the first place. They were the closest thing to parents that Suzaku had, and they had nearly let him get killed. Cecile wiped a sleeve across her eyes, clearing her throat. She shouldn't be crying, because Suzaku was all right. He would recover and be out of the hospital in no time.

Cecile smiled, straightening up to stretch out her back. Of course, the surprise of being able to go back home would have to wait until Suzaku was allowed to move about. That period could be shortened if the JLF started to move again. Cecile winced and made a mental reminder to tell Lloyd to add padding to the new Lancelot's seat. Suzaku wouldn't be up to his old performance level from the start.

She sighed, staring at the car and shaking her head. She was in for a long night, but it was better than sitting at home and trying to call her mother to wish her a Merry Christmas. Her mother wouldn't even pick up the phone to talk to her, they had been like that since her father had died. And it was too late to visit Suzaku, she would just have to wish him a Merry Christmas tomorrow and bring him something special. It was the least she could do for him while he was cooped up in the hospital. She would probably just bring him some take out, something that wasn't hospital food and wasn't her own cooking.

Still, that would have to wait until tomorrow, if she got the car finished tonight. Cecile glanced at the clock and sighed. It wasn't too late, but it was still going to be a long night ahead of her. She brushed the hair out of her eyes and bent over the car again.

* * *

 _January 1, 2018_

Nunnally smiled as she was wheeled into the small room, carefully balancing her load of clean sheets on her lap. She grinned up at Gino, the blond knight winking at her as he pushed her to the edge of the bed. "We have returned after our long journey."

Lelouch glanced back at them with a raised eyebrow, crossing his arms across his chest. Nunnally bit back a giggle at the annoyed expression on his face. He was taking this far too seriously, but for a good reason.

Tomorrow, Suzaku would be brought back into the administrative building.

The doctors said that his ribs had healed enough for him to be moved, and they had taken out the stitches the day before. Lelouch had locked himself in his study the day before, refusing to come out even when Nunnally had offered to come with him to see Suzaku before they removed the stitches, but Lelouch had refused. And Nunnally was sure that it was the right choice. The doctors had decided to check on the sections of bone that had been cracked, so they had put Suzaku under anesthesia. Nunnally wasn't sure if Lelouch would have been mentally ready to see Suzaku go under, he was stressing out about Suzaku coming back.

She still hadn't told Lelouch that Suzaku would be in extreme pain for a long time while he recovered. At least the cracked bones were healing right and his ribs were looking better. She would have to tell Lelouch eventually, but when he was calmer. Lelouch was already spending more hours cooped up in his study. Nunnally wasn't even sure he was sleeping anymore. But at least it was better than him unable to do anything.

Nunnally placed the sheets at the foot of the bed, settling back in her wheelchair as Lelouch immediately began making the bed. No matter how much they tried to convince him to bring servants in, Lelouch wouldn't let anyone set up the room but him. Nunnally would have thought it was sweet, if he hadn't chosen a room that only he could get to through his bedroom. Now Lelouch was being too overprotective of Suzaku as well.

She shook her head. She would let him have this one; it was probably Lelouch's way of trying to keep his mind off of the surgery that Suzaku was recovering from. It was enough to make her wonder how Lelouch had survived when she had been in the hospital.

Nunnally turned and smiled up at Gino. "Thank you for your help, Sir Weinberg. That will be all."

Gino bowed to the two of them, backing out of the room and going to take his post with Anya on the other side of the door.

Nunnally breathed a sigh of relief when Gino was gone, glad to be alone with her brother. There had to be something to do to prepare him for when Suzaku came back, probably still woozy from the anesthesia and a bit drugged up to help with the pain of the move. She bit her lip, pressing her hand against the bed. "Lelouch?"

"Hm?"

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"They're releasing him, aren't they?"

Nunnally nodded, dropping her gaze. "But, he's still hurt." She tried to ignore the flinch that Lelouch gave. "Wouldn't it be better to have him in a place where nurses can get to him?"

"No!" Lelouch looked surprised at outburst. "I just…I just. I don't know, Nunnally."

He walked over and slumped into a chair, running a hand through his hair. Lelouch repeated the move a few times before going to straighten his hair. "He'll be safer here. The people still regard him as a traitor to them. I would rather him be safe."

"I understand. He's your knight." Nunnally laughed, the sound trailing off as Lelouch curled in on himself. She tipped her head to the side, carefully guiding her wheelchair around the bed. She reached for his hand, only to have him pull away. "Lelouch? It's alright, Lelouch. It was too much like mother and I, wasn't it?"

"Y-yeah." Lelouch smiled and reached out to hold her hand. "Suzaku is just…"

"He's your friend." Nunnally smiled at him. "Euphy and I told you that you needed someone to trust other than us."

Lelouch blushed and cleared his throat, looking away from her for a moment. "Thank you, Nunnally."

"You're welcome. And maybe he can convince you to get out of your study a bit more. When I said that you should work on the problem with Britannia, I didn't mean stay inside your study all day." She patted his arm and settled back in her wheelchair. "Still, it's good to see you smile again."

Lelouch nodded and stood up, returning to making the bed. Nunnally watched him from her chair, leaning on her hand and smiling. This was so much better than before, Lelouch was smiling and had gone back to normal, and all because of Suzaku. She would have to make sure that Suzaku stayed close. Lelouch had stopped talking to her again, probably still too wrapped up in his plans and afraid that she would make good on her promise to get involved. But at least he had Suzaku to talk to. And she was sure that, as soon as this stressful period of time was over, things would go back to normal.

"Lelouch?"

"Hm?"

"What will happen after Area 11 is secure?"

Lelouch stared at her, Nunnally sure that she imagined the look of terror on his face, because he was smiling in the next moment.

He cleared his throat, smoothing the covers down with one hand. "I don't really know, Nunnally."

"But you're going to give the people their countries back."

"Of course. I've got a whole plan for that."

"You always have a plan."

Lelouch chuckled, his hand stilling. "But after that, I just don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

"You plan on fixing things, right?"

"Yes." Lelouch turned to look at her, still smiling. "I definitely plan on making up for this war."

"So people will like you as an emperor?"

Lelouch was silent. Nunnally shifted under his stare, glad when he looked away with a long sigh. "It's complicated, Nunnally."

"But, if you just showed the people that you could be kind and that the war made you act like this, then they would understand."

"Maybe. We'll just have to see."

Nunnally smiled back at him, satisfied with his answers. She was probably asking a bit too much of her brother by discussing that far ahead in the future. Lelouch was probably still working on ending the war and what come directly after it. Later he would be able to tell her what his further plans were.

She glanced up at the ceiling of the room. "Will Suzaku still be a knight?"

She looked back at her brother as she heard something drop. Nunnally frowned as she watched Lelouch pick up the pillow, seeing him shake slightly. "W-what?"

"You disbanded the Knights of the Round. Is Suzaku still a knight?"

"Of course he is. I won't take that title away." Lelouch set the pillow back on the bed and fluffed it. "I would grant him lands for his service to the empire if I hadn't abolished the aristocracy."

"Then you'll keep him around after all of this?"

"Nunnally…" Lelouch sighed. "We'll have to see. It's his choice to stay or not. He might have family that he wants to find."

"Alright. Just as long as we don't lose track of him." Nunnally cleared her throat. "I like him."

She looked up as Lelouch turned around abruptly, wondering what had caused the look of panic on his face. Lelouch cleared his throat and turned away, Nunnally watching his shoulders move as he fidgeted with his hands. "Y-you like him?"

"Yes. He's a good friend." Nunnally raised an eyebrow as she saw Lelouch relax, giggling and shaking her head. "I'll leave you to this then. I'll come to see him later. And don't remember to come to dinner, we can't have you getting any skinnier."

"I promise I'll be down, Nunnally." Lelouch's attention was back on the room, she could tell by the absent wave of the hand that he gave her. She smiled and steered her wheelchair to the door, smiling at the two knights outside as the door opened. "He'll be fine."

Lelouch waved her one with one hand, but Nunnally could tell by his posture that he was relaxing; which meant her work here was done. She smiled to herself and steered her wheelchair into the hallway.

* * *

Lelouch stared at the ceiling, forcing himself not to look at the door that led to the room where Suzaku was sleeping. Just because his knight was back in the administration building was no excuse to go and see him again. He could finally relax and sleep in his own room instead of catching a few hours of sleep in Suzaku's hospital room and collapsing on his desk when exhaustion got the better of him.

He sighed and sat up in bed, kicking the covers away and shifting so he was sitting on the edge of his bed. If he couldn't sleep, then he could always just make the guard who was outside his door escort him to his study and work until he collapsed again. But he was sure that Gino would just berate him for it, the knight had gotten into the habit of doing that. Lelouch rubbed his hands over his face, sighing.

He was partially done with the first part of his plan, creating something that would give the countries of the world something to rally behind against Britannia. He had a rough draft for a charter of a United Federation of Nations, something that would give the countries of the world a secure enough footing against Britannia when the empire was finally shattered, but enough to encourage their individual interests so that they wouldn't attempt to build their own empire. And, tomorrow, there would be a representative going to the Chinese Federation to start to break it apart. Lelouch was now facing the tedious job of sorting through the reports on each of the Areas and having to outline how they would be supported until their freedom was granted.

Lelouch stumbled from his bed, crossing his room and opening the door that led to Suzaku's room. He had walked halfway across the room before he realized what he was doing, coming to a complete stop at the edge of Suzaku's bed. He froze with one hand hovering over the bed, staring at the lump under the covers.

He shouldn't have come in here, Suzaku needed his rest. He had seen the knight being brought in here, looking pale and in pain. And there had been blood on his bandages. Not like before when he had been pulled out of the Lancelot, but still there. Logically he knew that it was just from when Suzaku had gotten his stitches removed and from the move into the administrative building. But his mind had automatically reacted with panic. He had only seen blood when it was linked to death, so he had excused himself from the room to curl up on the couch of his study and try to calm himself back down. He hadn't been in the room since.

Lelouch swallowed and went to take a step back, freezing in place again as he heard a groan from the bed. He watched as Suzaku lifted his head from the pillow, the knight staring at him for a moment. "'louch?"

"Hey." Lelouch inched forward, allowing himself to rest a hand on the bed. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"'s fine." Suzaku yawned, going to stretch but stopping halfway through the motion. "'m never sleeping on my back after this again."

"I don't think that's something you can change."

Suzaku snorted, giving Lelouch a bleary glare. "Watch me."

"That implies that you're intending to continue this relationship."

"Of course." Suzaku reached out and grabbed onto his wrist, giving it a gentle tug. Lelouch hesitated a moment before crawling onto the bed. Suzaku smiled at him. "Unless you'd prefer not to."

"Prefer?"

"I'll leave eventually."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn't you consider that to?"

"I've had a lot of time on my hands, Lelouch. I think I've got this."

Lelouch chuckled and pulled the covers down so he could slip under them. He remained propped up, staring down at Suzaku. "I'll consider it."

Suzaku rolled his eyes, tipping his head back with a long sigh. "Feels good to be back."

"I'm sure Gino will come by to annoy you when I allow him to."

"Just work in here, I'll keep him busy so you can work."

"That's a good idea." Lelouch laughed, lowering his head to rest it against the side of Suzaku's neck. After a moment of hesitation Lelouch wrapped his arm around Suzaku's waist, careful not to put too much pressure on Suzaku. He swallowed, feeling Suzaku lean into him. "This alright?"

"It's fine."

"I'm not hurting you?"

"I'm always in pain right now." He felt Suzaku shift, tensing when the knight grabbed his hand, keeping his arm in place. "It's alright, Lelouch. I want this. You won't hurt me."

Lelouch nodded, feeling Suzaku shiver as that motion rubbed his nose against Suzaku's neck. He glanced down towards the end of the bed out of the corner of his eye, wrapping one leg around Suzaku's leg. The position wasn't ideal, not with Suzaku's arm blocking his injured side, but it was something; much better than the nights that Lelouch had spent in the hospital.

"I thought you didn't like cuddling.'

"I have my moments." Lelouch shut his eyes, listening as Suzaku yawned. "Sleep, I'll be here in the morning."

"So you did miss me."

"I might have."

"Admit it."

Lelouch grumbled, nipping Suzaku's neck and smirking at the yelp from Suzaku. "Quiet."

"Yes, your highness." Lelouch smiled against Suzaku's neck, allowing himself a brief hug before relaxing his grip. He would bring Suzaku up to date on what was going on, with and without Gino in the room. He was sure that the knight would enjoy talking to his friend, and that would give Lelouch a chance to keep Suzaku in his sight for his first day here. He wanted to see if Suzaku could give anymore tactical advice for future battles, when they became an issue.

For now, he was just willing to cuddle with Suzaku. Despite his usual hatred of the activity, he would admit that, in moderation, he was willing to cuddle. Two months without being able to touch Suzaku like this had pushed his endurance. And it would only be for a few nights, he knew that from when he and Nunnally were finally allowed to be together in Japan. He had held onto her for the first three nights there, just because he was afraid that she would drift away from him. Of course, he was older and a bit wiser now. Still…

Lelouch pulled back to look at Suzaku's neck, glad to see that he had left a bruise. It was purely animalistic instinct to enjoy the fact that Suzaku was so obviously marked, but he was willing to indulge just this once. He settled back down with a long sigh, jumping a bit when Suzaku dropped a hand on his arm, calmed by the gentle rub that Suzaku gave him.

"You staying here all night?"

"It's more comfortable than the hospital bed, so probably. Now sleep."

"Good. That's good."

Lelouch felt a gentle pressure against his head, tipping his head up only far enough to feel Suzaku's hair brush against his forehead. He hummed, returning his head to its original position. "You just like being cuddled."

He didn't get an answer, Lelouch opening one eye to see that Suzaku had fallen asleep. He smiled to himself and nuzzled Suzaku's neck. He would probably roll away from the knight sometime during the night, not that he cared. He was alright just like this for a while, but Suzaku would still be there when he rolled away, and that was the most important thing.

* * *

 _January 2, 2018_

Gino rubbed the last of the sleep from his eyes, trudging towards Lelouch's rooms. It looked like another boring day of standing outside of Lelouch's study. He was appreciative of the fact that Lelouch was working to fix the situation with the nobles, but there was some part of him that wanted to do something interesting. When Suzaku had been the one tailing Lelouch exciting things had happened. Gino flinched at the thought. He wasn't hoping for Suzaku to never come back or for a bad situation to arise. He was just wanted a bit more than standing outside of doors and looking official.

If he had wanted to do that, he would have accepted his father's offer of a commission.

He absently straightened his shirt, smiling at the guard that was standing by the door. As expected, the man snapped to attention, saluting him before remembering at the last minute who he was addressing and adding an awkward bow. "Sir Weinberg."

"At ease." Gino waved him away, taking the guard's place by the door. He gave the man a sideways glance, clearing his throat. "Anything to report."

"No, it's been quiet." Gino narrowed his eyes as the man looked nervous. If things had been quiet there was no reason for the guard to look that nervous. Then again, the man was guarding the door of the Demon Emperor, that alone was something to be nervous about. But not to this extent. It might be prudent to give Jeremiah the heads up and have one of the people under him look into this guard's background.

Gino flinched. He hated that kind of thinking, but it was the only thing keeping Lelouch alive at the moment. He was hated for taking over the empire and not doing anything to correct its problems. He was hated for killing off his siblings. He was hated for Euphemia's death, because everyone assumed that Lelouch had ordered her assassination. And then, recently, the disbanding of the aristocracy and the Rounds had turned more of the population against him.

"If I may say, my lord, it was a worryingly quiet."

"He doesn't do much."

"But the others reported that he would come back in the middle off the night."

"And is this any of your business, soldier?"

"No sir." The man shook his head and backed into the middle of the hallway. "Of course not, sir. I'll be going now, sir."

Gino watched the man walk off, shaking his head and inputting the code into the pad by the door. It had been Lelouch's idea to have Gino lock the room every night, never mind the fact that Lelouch spent most of his nights with Suzaku in the hospital. He shook his head, taking a deep breath as the door opened, preparing his usual bright smile for Lelouch. Knowing the emperor, he had spent most of the night worrying about Suzaku. Lelouch was probably grumpy, sore and still set upon working a full day.

He shook his head, taking a step into the room. He would have to ask Nunnally how to get him to stop, because at this rate Lelouch would work himself into an early grave. As much as he hated resorting to blackmailing the emperor, he didn't want the empire to crumble, not in the state that it was in now.

Gino glanced at the bed and froze, taking in the messed up blankets and the pillows that had been thrown across the bed. But Lelouch wasn't there.

He sucked in a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. He would panic later, when he was sure that Lelouch was missing. And he had a good idea of where Lelouch was at the moment. Gino breathed a sigh of relief that the guard wasn't here, he would have had to have dealt with the guard's fumbling attempts to help him find the emperor.

He walked over to the door that led to the room what Suzaku was in, Gino tapping his fingers against the door before pressing the button that would open the door. He was willing to be that Lelouch and Suzaku were in here, the emperor probably preferring to sleep in the presence of his knight, despite the guard that had been set outside his door.

Gino slipped quietly into the room, glancing at the door as it slid shut. As much as he hated to do it, he had to wake Lelouch up. Gino took a deep breath and stepped towards the bed, freezing when he realized where Lelouch was.

He had expected Lelouch to be curled up on a chair or on the far side of the bed. If Lelouch had been completely exhausted, he would have even fallen asleep on the floor. But he hadn't expected to find Lelouch pressed up against Suzaku and fast asleep. And, from the way they blankets were tangled around them, they were probably very close.

Gino cleared his throat and looked away, tapping his fingers against his arm. This situation called for delicacy, something that he didn't have. He didn't quite know how to handle this because, in situations like these, he was often the one in bed instead of standing by it. Gino cleared his throat again, rubbing the back of his neck before deciding to act.

"Your majesty?"

He was relieved when Lelouch lifted his head from the pillow. The emperor glanced around the room, Gino shifting impatiently as he waited for Lelouch to wake completely up. He shifted nervously in place as Lelouch tensed, Gino trying not to look directly at Lelouch and Suzaku.

He had known that they were close, Suzaku depended on Lelouch to even remain alive surrounded by racist Britannians. And he had known that they were as close to friends that an emperor and his subordinate could get, Lelouch seemed to favor Suzaku above all others for some reason. Gino had just thought that they were close because of that, not because of any other relations Apparently he had been wrong, and the rumors had been right.

He flinched as he heard Lelouch clear his throat. "Sir Weinberg."

Gino bowed, hoping that it would calm Lelouch down, or at least appease him. "My apologies, your majesty. I expected to find you alone."

"Expected?"

"Honestly, your majesty, I expected you in the other room." That earned Gino a glare, the knight rolling his eyes and looking away.

He heard the sheets rustle as Lelouch slid out of the bed, turning around so he was staring at the door. If he had found out about the two at any other time, or had found out through Suzaku, then he could have just teased them. But he would have to deal with Lelouch on his own now, and Lelouch was the one person that he wasn't sure how far to push.

Gino glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Lelouch leaning over Suzaku. He cleared his throat, pushing the button that would open the door and quickly stepping through. He wasn't too keen on standing there and seeing something that he shouldn't, especially since he had woken Lelouch up. Now a day standing outside of Lelouch's study was looking better and better.

He straightened his shirt, glancing down at his wrinkled uniform and swallowing nervously. He supposed it would have to do, although Lelouch would still probably yell at him. Lelouch would yell at him for anything today. And here he had been thinking that Lelouch would calm down now that Suzaku was close.

He snapped to attention as Lelouch walked out, expecting a glare from the emperor. Gino was surprised when he heard Lelouch sigh, daring to turn to look at Lelouch.

Lelouch gave him a quick glance before waving a hand back to Suzaku's room. "Go, talk to him. You've been wanting to."

"Yes, your majesty." He wouldn't argue with the order, it was giving him a chance to get away from Lelouch and to let the emperor cool down. Knowing him, he would just say something that would make Lelouch mad again, and he would regret it. Gino winced before backing through the doors, breathing a sigh of relief when they shut in front of him.

"He's not that bad."

Gino scoffed and turned to look at Suzaku. "So says you."

"Really he's not."

"Forgive me for not believing you." Gino chuckled, walking over to the nearest chair and sitting down. "But I think you have an unfair advantage over the rest of us."

"I…" For a moment, it looked like Suzaku was going to deny it, but then he blushed. Gino smirked and rested his chin in his hand, watching as Suzaku looked everywhere but at him.

"'It's not what it looks like' isn't going to cut it."

"I know. I wasn't going to say that." Suzaku finally looked at him, still blushing. "But it's not like that. This isn't be influencing him or getting ahead."

"Really?"

"What point is there of me getting ahead when I'm-" Suzaku cut himself off, looking a bit frightened for a moment. Then, he shook his head. "Never mind."

"Hey, I believe you. You're probably the least ambitious knight here." Gino scooted his chair closer to the bed, unable to keep the grin off his face. "At least you have someone."

"Yeah…" Suzaku shook his head, propping himself up on his elbows. "How have things been on your end?"

"Miserable. When Lelouch is in a bad mood, everyone else has to suffer. For a while there, I though he was going to break down."

"Because of me?"

Gino nodded. "But I can see why now. He's attached to you." Suzaku hummed in response, looking over at the door. Gino chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Other than Nunnally getting on his case for letting you affect him so much, there hasn't been much. I'm just drifting, waiting for my parents to call me back or for Lelouch to tell me that I'm done here."

"Not looking forward to either?"

"No." Gino shivered. "I don't want to know what the people back in Pendragon will think about a Knight of the Round and a member of nobility that didn't rise against the emperor. I've basically betrayed my country, or the people who think they are the country. My best bet is to stay with Lelouch."

Suzaku nodded slowly. "You'll be safe with him. But you said something about Nunnally."

"Yeah, I'll have to tell you the whole story another time. But, basically, she told her brother to stop sulking and get back to work."

"Like an empress?" Suzaku smiled.

"Exactly like that. She even threatened to start taking control if he didn't sort himself out."

"Good for her."

"I don't know what we would have done without her, unless we could get you to convince him. And, no offense, Suzaku, but no one could take you seriously."

"I was that drugged up?" Suzaku groaned and let himself flop back to the bed. "God."

"It would have been more amusing if the wounds weren't so dangerous."

"What nonsense was I talking?"

"Well-" Gino never got a chance to finish, looking up as Lelouch strode back into the room. He raised an eyebrow as the emperor sat on the edge of the bed, but didn't comment further.

"Sir Weinberg, I would appreciate it if you withdrew from the room. You will be able to visit Suzaku later."

Gino nodded, giving Suzaku a wave before bowing to Lelouch. He walked out of the room, listening to the door shut behind him. He could only imagine what Lelouch was getting up to in there with Suzaku. Gino only had his own experience from when he had been convinced he was in love with one of the servants at his family home, and he knew that he had always been more eager to be close to her after time apart. Maybe for Lelouch that wasn't the case, but it was still good to know that Lelouch was as human as the rest of them.

He shook his head. He had been listening to the whispers of the Elevens and those against Lelouch if he was actually thinking that. There was no way that Lelouch was a demon like they all believed. Of course, he was probably making it harder than it had to be, but Lelouch was still completely human.

* * *

Suzaku sighed as Lelouch pulled away, the two of them panting for breath. He smiled and gently squeezed Lelouch's wrist, drawing the emperor's attention away from his lips and to him. "Did you send Gino out so we could just do this?"

Lelouch winced and sat back, still not drawing his arm out of Suzaku's grip. "Not completely. There are some things that I don't want him hearing."

"Your plans."

Lelouch nodded and settled down, staring at the covers. "I…I'm going to kill Nunnally."

Suzaku staring at him, his mouth dropping open. For a few moments, he was unable to speak, his thoughts rushing around. If Lelouch killed Nunnally, then all of this would have been for nothing. The future needed Nunnally to rule, an empress that knew where to be firm and when to give, something that she had learned from watching her brother and learning from his mistakes. And, if Lelouch was really going through with this, he would have to kill Lelouch himself to save the future.

He let go of Lelouch's wrist, staring at the emperor. He would have been able to watch Lelouch die when he was assassinated. It was just a matter of finding a way to be away from Lelouch and not to watch. Suzaku had seen enough of the event already as it was. But being the one to kill Lelouch in his false assassination plan, he wasn't sure he could do that, especially not after realizing how badly he had messed up already. He had already changed major events and had fallen in love with the emperor, Suzaku wasn't sure what killing Lelouch before it was the official time would do to his future.

"L-Lelouch…"

"It would be faked." Suzaku let out the breath he had been holding, relaxing back into the bed. He glanced over at Lelouch, surprised at the horrified look on the emperor's face. "You…you actually thought that I really meant it. God, you-"

Lelouch scooted off the bed and stood up. Suzaku shrunk under the stare, hating that he had found it so easy to doubt Lelouch. Nunnally was the one thing that Lelouch cherished over everything else, but it had been so easy to just fall back on his old train of thought, that Lelouch was the Demon Emperor and, therefore, evil. "Lelouch, please-"

"Why?" Suzaku flinched back at the question, unable to meet Lelouch's glare. "You know she means everything to me. She's the only person I have left. How could you even think that-"

"Because it was what I was told." Suzaku winced as he pushed himself upright. He was glad to see Lelouch reach out to stop him, it meant that their argument hadn't done anything to their relationship. He had just managed to shock Lelouch completely.

He managed to sit upright, wrapping one arm around his stomach to press against his side in a useless attempt to soothe the pain there. Suzaku took a deep breath and met Lelouch's gaze. "I have been told since I was born that you were an evil emperor who slaughtered his family just because you wanted power. There were documentaries where they had footage of the killings and you were just standing there. What else was I supposed to think when you said that? I've seen you at your worst and I can see how you could rationalize that. Other people already have, there's a whole field of study around it!"

Suzaku snapped his mouth shut with an audible click, afraid that he had said too much. He swallowed as he stared at Lelouch, waiting for the demand that was sure to come. There were too many times that he had slipped up while he had been talking, places where Lelouch would see through him. And he wasn't ready to tell Lelouch what he really was, it was impossible to be ready for something like that.

Lelouch dropped back onto the edge of the bed, facing away from Suzaku. He remained ramrod straight for a moment before he curled in on himself. "How else do you expect me to behave? Some of my family I knew well and loved. Others I didn't know, but they had treated me fairly when I had returned from Japan. But they wouldn't have supported me, so what else was I supposed to do? If I had shown mercy I would have been seen as weak and I wouldn't have been able to come so far."

"But do you need to be seen as a tyrant, a dictator?"

Lelouch nodded slowly, turning to look at Suzaku. He glanced down at Suzaku's side, Suzaku turning slightly. He knew Lelouch still felt guilty about his wounds, but it had been his own fault. He hadn't been paying enough attention during a fight.

The emperor looked away a moment later, folding his hands in his lap. "I need to have your loyalty."

"You have it."

"Your complete loyalty."

"You've had it for a long while now, Lelouch." Suzaku grinned, not wanting to risk the pain that would come with a laugh. "I could pledge my life, if you wanted it."

That got Lelouch to look at him, the emperor shaking his head. "No. I don't want it. I don't think that I'd…know what to do with it." Lelouch resettled on the bed, inching close to Suzaku and stopping within easy reaching distance. "I need that image, Suzaku, I need it change the world."

Suzaku stared at him, nodding slowly. He knew all of this so far, it had been the original plan when Euphemia had been alive. Lelouch would act the dictator so Euphemia had time for her support base to grow. Lelouch had said something about faking his own assassination, but Suzaku had ignored that. He would have to ensure a real assassination one day, it was something that he didn't want to think about. But this was the first time he had heard about Lelouch having a full plan after Euphemia's death.

"I plan to pick out a successor from among the royal family, just for the legitimacy. I'll have strict orders for them to follow, a way to make the world love them and hate me forever. If I can get them to hate me enough, then the world will be more likely to keep peace instead of throwing it away again. My life will be a cautionary tale for all of those that follow."

Lelouch hesitated before reaching out for Suzaku's hand, cradling it in his own. "All of the Areas will be freed and be given their names back. Their people will cease to be called by numbers. And their governments will have the full support of Britannia until they show that they are recovered. But it won't be all at once, they'll be freed slowly so they won't collapse and be snatched up by other countries.

"I've also set up the outline for a federation of nations so the EU and what will remain of the Chinese Federation will have something to distract them from Britannia, and Britannia will finally have something that is equal to them. It might hold long enough to stop another empire from rising, but I'm counting on my own reputation to secure that for a while.

"As for me, the Demon Emperor will just be killed one day, after all of his family is dead. Nunnally and I can start a new life then." Lelouch's hand closed around Suzaku's briefly, but didn't hold for long. Suzaku stared at their hands, sighing when Lelouch let go. Lelouch wasn't going to ask him to stay again. He raised his eyes to meet Lelouch's gaze, surprised when Lelouch leaned forward. "If you stay with me, you'll be dragged down too."

"There will be others too."

"No, they can claim innocence. Gino and Anya can say that they were doing this for their families, trying to earn safety after the rest of the Rounds rebelled. Lloyd and Cecile are employed by the empire, they can't help what they do. There are thousands of other reasons for the other people in my employ, but not for you."

Suzaku stared at Lelouch before shaking his head. "I don't understand."

"I need them to hate me, Suzaku. I need them to hate me completely. So I'm going to take advantage of the rumors that have spread. They're all going to be verified as true. Within days, news will reach Japan that the Chinese Federation has started to fall apart from the inside and my agents have their orders to reveal themselves fully then. And I'll be taking the full responsibility for Euphemia's death."

Suzaku drew in a quick breath, slightly relieved by the unsettled look in Lelouch's eyes. He didn't enjoy doing this, but it was the only way that Lelouch could think of to save the world. If Suzaku had been any better, he would have thought of another way, but he wasn't like Lelouch. Battle strategies were easy, it was just a matter of reading your enemy and then thinking a little further ahead. Suzaku couldn't even begin to comprehend how far Lelouch was thinking and how the emperor was accounting for every little detail.

"You'll say it was on your orders?"

Lelouch nodded. "But that would mean that you were the one to kill her, Suzaku. Raleigh would become a revered knight and you would become just as much of a killer as I am. People wouldn't care that you were working on her side, they would just think that you were on my side the entire time."

Suzaku smiled, seeing where Lelouch was going. "So I would become a traitor, none of the other knights." Lelouch nodded, Suzaku feeling his smile widen. "Good. That means Gino is safe."

"Think about this, Suzaku."

"I don't have to. I swore to serve the emperor when I was knighted, there is nothing else I can do." Suzaku raised his good shoulder in a shrug. "It's my own choice, Lelouch. I'm not having you go out there on your own. Nunnally will kill me if something happens to you."

"And you're alright with what it will do to you?" Lelouch stared at him, Suzaku watching the emperor try to process his easy acceptance of the request. "But you said that you'll be leaving. After this it'll be nearly impossible to hide."

"You're planning to hide."

"It'll be easier because they'll think I'm dead. People don't tend to look for people they think are dead. I can always die my hair, get contacts or something. Nunnally's wheelchair can easily be explained away with a childhood accident. Unless we can plan out a way to have you assassinated on the same day that I am."

"Don't bother, Lelouch." Suzaku tried to calm down the nausea, forcing himself to smile. "I have a place where they won't get me. Promise."

They wouldn't look for the traitorous knight for eighteen years, he was sure of it. It would be easier for him to just disappear on the day of Lelouch's assassination, or even before. He wasn't looking forward to watching to make sure that Lelouch was dead, he would just take the crowd's word for it. They wouldn't leave the emperor's body intact for too long.

He raised a hand to his mouth, swallowing back bile at the thought of Lelouch being ripped apart like Euphy; but she had still alive and still screaming. Suzaku swallowed again, glancing over at Lelouch as he reached out to touch Suzaku. It was only then that Suzaku realized his hand was shaking.

He turned his hand so he could get a good grip on Lelouch's arm, using that to steady himself. "I can take care of myself, Lelouch. Worry about Nunnally."

"You sure."

"I won't let them get me, Lelouch." Suzaku let go of Lelouch, relaxing as the emperor scooted closer to him.

Now that the conversation had been safely diverted, he could allow himself to relax. The time machine would be ready by the time Lelouch was assassinated. All he had to do now was to make sure that Lelouch had his fake assassination was planned for after that date, and that Nunnally was ready for her role of empress. If he could manage all off this, then he was fine.

Suzaku sighed, turning to press his face into Lelouch's hair, taking a deep breath. "What's the plan, my lord?"

"For now, we'll just let you recover. I have to see how the world reacts to the decline of the Chinese Federation, and to see how the countries fall into place." Suzaku lifted his head, smirking as he watched Lelouch gesture vaguely with his hand. "Besides, I need to be sure that these plans will work immediately and find a successor. Also," Lelouch shifted nervously, "we'll need to get our story straight."

"About what?"

"About how we'll act around each other."

"That's not a story, Lelouch."

"But it's important." Lelouch stared at him. "We have to be seen as working together, even if we have no idea what's going on."

"Even if I have no idea what's going on."

"You're always ahead of me, Suzaku. I hate to admit it, but you always seem to be. Just remember, you promised to explain it to me at some point."

"Of course."

Lelouch nodded slowly, settling back against the headrest of the bed. Suzaku started when he felt Lelouch wrap an arm around his shoulders, Lelouch gently pulling him closer. Suzaku allowed himself to lean with the motion, resting his head on Lelouch's shoulder. Lelouch still must be scared of losing him if he was acting like this, Lelouch had never been so tactile with him before.

He looked up as he heard Lelouch clear his throat, the emperor glancing down at him. "You're going to become my right hand, my knight and my sword."

"Yes, your majesty."


	19. Chapter 19

** Chapter Nineteen **

_January 5, 2018_

Schneizel looked up as one of his aides bustled in, watching as the man panted for breath. He sighed and stood up, letting his pen drop onto the desk. "What is it?"

"Princess Cornelia, my lord. She's demanding to speak to you."

He raised an eyebrow, gesturing for the man to precede him out of the room. The aide seemed confused for a moment, jerking suddenly as he realized what the order meant. Schneizel kept himself from rolling his eyes as the aide gave a quick bow before scurrying out of the room. He remained behind for a moment more, straightening his coat before walking from the room.

There was no reason for Cornelia to be calling; the Black Knights should be more focused on the reconstruction of their forces than wondering what he was up to. He knew that Cornelia personally didn't trust him, but that was a lingering feeling from their childhood. Schneizel doubted that any of Charles zi Britannia's children who weren't directly related could actually trust each other. Their father had spent too long pitting them against each other for any real trust to develop.

But he had done nothing that would have attracted Cornelia's attention. He had told her ahead of time about the weapon that they were developing, but not that he would remain in control of it. He could always lie and say that Clara Einstein had told him that no one else was allowed to use it. Schneizel didn't need to tell Cornelia about the Damocles, because she wouldn't care. It was his choice to use a fortress instead of a Knightmare.

Schneizel stepped into the room with the video screen, settling down in his chair and ignoring the aide that stood by the door. He was too focused on the worried face of his sister and the other leaders of the Black Knights.

He was careful to keep his face blank, not wanting the Black Knights to realize that they had surprised him. The aide had only mentioned his sister, probably because the man was just another Britannian who thought that Numbers did not count as people. Schneizel's hand clenched on the armrest. Only idiots forgot that Numbers were people.

He cleared his throat and smiled at his half sister, watching Cornelia relax a fraction. So she hadn't been lying when she had said that he was her only ally. That was good. He hadn't wanted to turn his weapon against the Black Knights, they were the ones that would hold Area 11 together when Lelouch had been deposed and executed. Of course, they would be troublesome in their own way towards the end, but that's what discrete assassinations were for.

"What do I owe the pleasure of this call dear sister?"

"We don't have time for pleasantries!" Schneizel was slightly taken aback by Cornelia's tone of voice, careful not to show it. Instead, he just leaned forward and waited for her to speak. It took her a while, Schneizel noting every nervous gesture that she made. Cornelia finally cleared her throat. "Have you heard the news?"

Schneizel raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "It's best to assume that I haven't."

Cornelia looked shocked, Schneizel sighing. He had thought that his half sister could realize that he was stuck where the news came very slowly if at all. The royal families of the countries that made up the EU were not too keen on letting the heirs that they had hidden away on what was going on in the world. Whether that was because the kings and queens of Europe preferred their offspring to think that nothing was wrong or because they didn't want him to find out, Schneizel didn't know.

Cornelia recovered from her shock, shaking her head and glaring at him. "You're the only one that has the most freedom out off all off us. You should-"

"I have different limitations." Schneizel cut her off, leaning his cheek on his hand. "I may be able to move about the EU more freely than you are able to move around Area 11, but I can't be seen doing anything obviously against the empire. Asking for news about foreign countries can be seen as that."

Cornelia shut her mouth, staring at him. Schneizel waited, holding back a smirk as she shook her head. "The Chinese Federation is starting to break apart. It's only the fringe countries, so they're letting them go without much of a fight. The problem is, it isn't stopping."

"So it's not about some new tax?"

"No. It seems to be about corrupt governments and the people." Cornelia glanced back at the Black Knights, taking a stack of paper that was handed to her. "There have only been two outright rebellions, and that was in India. The smaller fringe countries that are pulling out fast have just taken over the government without much of a struggle."

"The Chinese Federation will pull them back in, as they always have."

"You don't get it, Schneizel!"

"Then enlighten me."

Cornelia took a deep breath, Schneizel watching her hands shake. "The Chinese Federation won't be able to pull them back in because it's having trouble. They're still riots at the moment, but they're happening all over China. It's why the other countries are getting the chance to pull out, and they're arming themselves. They're not going back to the Chinese Federation."

Schneizel fought to keep his expression neutral. He knew what was going on, Lelouch was trying to get rid of one of his enemies. If Lelouch was seen to be weak, then the Chinese Federation would take the chance to swoop into Area 11 and claim the sakuradite that they had always wanted. He was also taking away a chance for the EU to ally themselves with the Chinese Federation and rise up against Britannia. Then there was the bigger problem; why was he doing it? Lelouch couldn't have possibly overlooked the fact that all of the smaller countries that were pulling away from the Chinese Federation would not become his allies. They were more likely to join the EU and support the Black Knights than to look towards Britannia as a friend. Knowing Lelouch, how he thought, how he planned, this made no sense.

He looked up from his knees, staring at Cornelia before smiling and shrugging. If she thought that he was worried, then they were all in trouble. "It seems like Lelouch has made a mistake and given us more allies."

"Lelouch doesn't make any mistakes."

"That's what he wants you to think." Schneizel leaned back in his chair. "If you must, speed up your schedule, but I will be done with my preparations on the date that I told you."

Cornelia glared at him before nodding, abruptly shutting off her end of the conversation.

Schneizel sighed, standing up from his chair and walking over to the door. The man who had led him into the room scurried to keep up, Schneizel pretending that he didn't notice the man. His act was cut short when the man managed to get almost beside him. "What should we do, my lord?"

"Nothing. There is nothing we can do but proceed. Working any faster would lead to mistakes, which we certainly not afford." Schneizel glanced over at the man, waving him away.

The man bowed and scurried off in the other direction, Schneizel not bothering to look back as he strode towards where Clara would be working. He would discuss the project with her, to see if there was any room to push faster. If there were any indications that it would lead to disaster, he would keep the project at the same speed. He didn't need something going wrong and keeping Lelouch in power. There was no telling what would happen then.

He stepped into the room as the door slid open, smiling at the scientists that were rushing around. He caught a glimpse of some of the data that they had on their touch screens, recognizing a few things that his tutors had taught him, but the rest was complete gibberish. Schneizel glanced around the room, carefully picking his way through the rush of scientists when he spotted Clara.

The chair beside her was filled by her daughter, so Schneizel pulled up another chair. He waited for Clara to be done with what she was doing on the screen, motioning for her to sit back down when she stood up in shock. "Y-your highness."

"I believe I told you to call me Schneizel before, Clara. My title means nothing now that I'm an exiled prince."

"But still..."

"Ah." Schneizel nodded. "I appreciate the show of support then, but it wastes time, your time. I just came to see how the project was going."

"The F.L.E.I.J.A?"

"F.L.E.I.J.A?"

"Yes, it stands for Field Limitary Explosion-Sorry, you don't really need to know that." Clara blushed and turned her attention back to the computer, pulling up a video from an icon from the desktop. "What you do need to know is that it works in different stages. The two you'll need to worry about are here."

She paused the video, Schneizel leaning over to stare at the dome of pink light. He blinked as Clara tapped her finger against the screen. "This is the initial explosion, where the sakuradite causes nuclear fission, which results in this." She traced her finger over the dome. "This disintegrates everything in its way as it expands."

"How far does it expand?"

"No more than 8,000 meters. But that's outward." She motioned with her hands. "I haven't got a measurement on the upward expansion. We all placed the equipment too close because we thought it would fail."

"So the best strategy would be to move out of the way as fast as possible."

Clara nodded and turned her attention back to the screen, fast forwarding the video before letting it play again. "The next stage you have to worry about is the collapse. Once it hits its range, this dome collapses and acts like a black hole, sucking everything that was in its range into it. If someone moved far enough to avoid the expansion but not the collapse, they would be torn to pieces by the rush of air."

"So, it will destroy objects within a certain range and then attempt to deal damage to those outside of its range."

"That's a sound explanation, and simple enough that most of those military boys can understand."

They shared a smile, Schneizel sitting back in his seat. "This is an amazing weapon, efficient and yet, still controlled. It must have taken you years to work it out."

Clara blushed. "Well, my thesis in grad school was the idea to use Uranium-235 as fuel. The idea was good in theory, but it didn't work out."

"Really?"

She nodded, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "But that original idea has been buried, and no one knows about it. No one recognizes my maiden name."

Schneizel nodded slowly, leaning forward to catch Nina's arm when the girl reached out for the computer. He eased her back into her chair, making sure that Nina wouldn't fall off before standing up himself. "Thank you for your time, Clara."

"No problem." She smiled at him, absently reaching down to stop her daughter from another advance towards the computer. "We're still working on getting that launch system right."

"No need. You'll have the Damocles." Schneizel ignored Clara's excited gasp. "You'll just need to be sure that the propulsion system works."

"No problem. That's been working for ages."

Schneizel went to weave his way back to the door, pausing a step away from Clara's workstation. "And another thing, we'll be needed a float system."

"Oh." Clara glanced around the room before gesturing toward one of the men in the corner. "Talk to him. He might know how to get through to India. There's only one person I know who is able to make float systems that unassociated with the Britannian empire."

Schneizel nodded, taking note of the man before walking out of the room. He would ask later, once he found out who was supplying the Black Knights with their Knightmares. If it had been three years before, Schneizel would have thought that the Black Knights were being supplied by the Kyoto House, but all members had been publically executed by Lelouch for conspiring against the empire. Schneizel was surprised that his little brother had the guts to kill all of the members of the Kyoto House, even Kaguya Sumeragi, the young girl who had been his playmate and the brother of his best friend.

Still, that train of thought was a useless waste of his time. The Kyoto House was obviously not supplying the Black Knights, and neither was the JLF. Schneizel didn't know the structure of the JLF well enough to figure out how had been supplying them after the Kyoto House was executed. That was something that he would have to speak to Cornelia with. If they really were allies, it would make sense that they would share resources. If they didn't, then they were just planning for a failure. He knew that Cornelia wanted to keep him on a short leash, but it would be ridiculous to her to deny him this.

That still left him with the Black Knights when they did managed to depose Lelouch. He was sure that he could manage to convince Cornelia into hunting them all down, he was sure that she would like that. In their private conversations she had told him about how she was treated. They treated her humanely, but not as a princess. Schneizel was willing to spare a few of the Black Knight's lives, just to keep the competent people in power, but he wasn't sure that Cornelia would see it his way. And, in the end, it was better to keep his sister happy. Despite their distrust of each other, she was one of the few allies he had left in this world.

* * *

"What was the point in calling him if you were just going to cut him off?"

Cornelia glared at the person who had talked, settling back in her seat. She could hear them grumbling over her decision and she would let them.

Running to Schneizel first with the news had been a childish thing to do. She should have sat down and thought about it before approaching him. Schneizel was halfway across the world from her and could do nothing. Cornelia sighed in annoyance, glaring at the nearest wall. That still didn't give him the right to act as her superior, they were partners in this.

She closed her eyes, trying to push away her irritation at her half brother so she could think.

Schneizel had said outright that he thought Lelouch had made a mistake, a highly unlikely idea to her mind. Lelouch did not just make mistakes, everyone in the world knew it.

"That's what he wants you to think."

Cornelia knew that Lelouch thrived on the world thinking he was as strong and invincible as Britannia was, and the world believed it whole heartedly. In their minds, Area 11 was a nation that couldn't grasp the fact that it was well a truly beaten. Lelouch never lost and never made mistakes. He ruled the world as easily as he played chess.

Her eyes snapped open at that, Cornelia staring at the wall as the thought over the comparison. Lelouch had always planned battles like they were chess matches, a strange thing to do, but effective for him nonetheless. When viewed like a game, the battlefield was suddenly much easier to take in. A simple shift in troops could create a trap or capture the king.

Better yet, Cornelia knew how Lelouch had played chess. She had watched after he had returned from exile. None of the games had really stuck, because she hadn't had the patience for games when she could be pouring over diagrams of real battles. But she knew some of Lelouch's signature moves, the same moves that would appear in battle.

He always led with his king, so Lelouch would always be near the front.

If there was an opening, it was always a trap. Lelouch would have at least three traps made, and he was always sure to spring at least one of them.

Lelouch didn't care how the match was won, he would give up pieces for the distraction and the chance to take down his opponent's king.

He never made mistakes.

Cornelia found herself smiling. He never made mistakes but, sometimes, he made obvious moves that looked like mistakes. Then, because he would never attempt this strategy without being sure that his opponent knew that he never made mistakes, the opponent would be too busy trying to figure out what had just happened to notice Lelouch's final move.

And that was what he had done here. He had opened up a way for them to gain more allies against him, and they would be so focused on the fact that he had allowed them that opening that they wouldn't take it. But Schneizel had seen right through it. Then again, Schneizel always did.

Instead of worrying about why Lelouch had acted like that, they should take the allies offered to them, because Lelouch wouldn't stop them. They would worry about what Lelouch had planned later, when they were more secure in their position.

Lelouch never made mistakes, but he did overestimate his own ability.

She turned back around to stare at the leaders of the Black Knights, watching as they all turned their attention to her. Despite their reluctance, they still needed her. She rested her arms on the table. "We'll start trying to make contacts with those countries."

"What?"

"The emperor has given us a present. It would be rude to refuse."

"You have no idea what you are-"

"I grew up with Lelouch the same as Schneizel. I might not know him as well as Schneizel does, but I do have certain insights." She smirked, glancing down at Tohdoh as the man nodded. That was one ally for her, and she was sure that Ohgi would agree too. "Lelouch has some plan for the future and no one can figure that out at this point but Lelouch. So, I suggest taking the advantage he has given us. We can figure out what he is really doing when we are more secure. In the meantime, we should offer assistance and support to those that we can."

"But we'll loose Knightmares and men!"

"Ask for volunteers if you have to, shame those that stay behind. This way we'll gain Knightmares and men. Lelouch can stand up against us, but can he stand up against the entire world?"

There were mutters along the length of the table, Cornelia slowly standing up as she fought back a smile. "If we help free India then Rakshata will be able to lend us her full support. Then we could finally compete against Lelouch's more advanced Knightmares. And, by freeing those countries from the Chinese Federation, you gain more ground to fall back to."

She was pandering to them now, Cornelia hating the way the words came easily. She had seen Lelouch do this, on television and hated the way it sounded like an obvious lie; but that was to a princess who had heard all of this growing up, not to commoners who loved these sort of speeches. Cornelia swallowed her disgust and shame and continued on.

"If we do this, then other countries might get the same idea. If some little country can break away from the Chinese Federation, couldn't an equally as small country break away from Britannia?"

There were nods around the room, Cornelia relaxing as they began talking amongst themselves. They could handle the lies on their own now. All she had to worry about now was telling this to the pilots under her command. She was sure that more than half of them would shrug and follow the crowd, but it was the pilot of the Guren that she was the most worried about. Kallen was focused single-mindedly on Area 11, it would be hard to convince her to give up this fight, even if it was only for a training exercise.

That talk she would leave to Ohgi and Tohdoh. Kallen respected the two of them more that she would ever respect Cornelia. And that was fine.

It was just a shame that they were going to have to lose such a good pilot when things were put right.

* * *

Kallen watched Ohgi slump, glancing around before lowering her voice. "I just don't understand why we are doing this."

"I already told you."

"I know the whole thing about allies and training exercises and it's a load of shit." She paused long enough for Ohgi to recover from his shock. He still probably remembered her as the smiling little girl who had been so proud when she brought home good test scores. She didn't even remember that girl. "We should be figuring out exactly what Lelouch is doing."

"We're working on that, while we take advantage of this."

"Could it be a trap?"

Ohgi sighed and nodded slowly. Kallen crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall behind her. "So, why are we even doing this?"

"Because, if it is a trap, it's not one from Britannia. We haven't seen any troops move in to help the Chinese Federation or to help the other countries. The Knights of the Round took care of Lelouch for a long while."

Kallen gave him a sidelong look. "How can you be sure? He could just be trying to divert our attention?"

"Our sources say he is distracted himself." Kallen waited patiently for Ohgi to explain, surprised when her friend just smiled. "Remember the Knight of Seven."

"Yes. The traitor. And?"

"He was injured in the rebellion and Lelouch hasn't made a move since."

Kallen narrowed her eyes, tapping her fingers against her arm. They had tried to go after Nunnally once, the first time they had attacked Tokyo. Lelouch had been too distracted with the battle and Princess Euphemia's death to notice at first. He would have noticed in the end though, they had all known that when they had agreed to the move, but Lelouch wouldn't have noticed until it was too late. If Suzaku Kururugi hadn't shown up, their plan would have worked.

It was just their luck that they were still out of commission while Kururugi was unable to pilot that damn white Knightmare.

Still, it was good to know that Lelouch had another weakness. And, if Kururugi was even able to pilot his Knightmare after what had happened during the Rounds Rebellion, then their plan was simplified even more. All they had to do was get Kururugi in a situation where he was in danger and Lelouch would focus all of his resources on that one pilot. The field was theirs from that point on and, if they got a hold of Nunnally or managed to keep Kururugi, then Lelouch would have no choice but to surrender. And they would only give their hostages back if Lelouch bowed to their demands.

Kallen snuck a quick look at Ohgi tipping her head to the side. While the rest of the board that ran the Black Knights would probably support her, she was sure that Ohgi and Tohdoh would protest the condition that Lelouch tell them exactly where Schneizel was hiding so that they could kill him and Cornelia. While they were in a tight spot, they were not foolish. Britannia was not going to let their top sakuradite provider go without a struggle.

"So, as long as Kururugi is out, we're safe?"

Ohgi nodded slowly, glancing down the hall nervously. "Apparently there's a doctor from the hospital there that has been in contact with one of our sources in the Tokyo Settlement. Thank God she looks Britannian or he would never talk to her."

"Racist bastard."

Ohgi hummed, clearing his throat before talking again. "This doctor was trying to convince the emperor that putting Kururugi back on the field would kill him."

"Did it work?"

"Unfortunately not. But we know we have one ally on the inside…as long as his contact looks Britannian."

"Of course." Kallen rolled her eyes. "If you want me to-"

"No. You're going with the others to the Chinese Federation. We'll keep you guys up to date with how everything is going."

Kallen sighed and rubbed her forehead. "And what's the plan for that?"

"In progress. Tohdoh and Cornelia are having a field day in the conference room coming up with a plan to liberate India and then work across a few countries. They want to be back by March or early April though, because we need time to regroup and prepare to attack Lelouch directly."

"Sounds good to me." Kallen pushed away from the wall, glancing down towards where the smell of dinner being cooked drifted towards her. "I assume that we'll be getting our assignments as soon as the plans are ready?"

"Yes, and moving out soon after that."

Kallen nodded, turning and walking down the hallway. She allowed herself a short laugh when Ohgi did not follow her, stretching her arms above her head. It felt good to have something to do. Of course, she didn't completely agree with what they were planning to do, but at least it was something. She didn't think the Guren could stand another day of maintenance without her messing up something. And Rakshata was already frustrated because a new system that had been installed on another Knightmare had broken down the day before. On top of that, Rakshata had heard rumors that the Britannians had begun to use a more advanced float system, one that she couldn't figure out.

With all of that going on, it was probably best to avoid the grove where the Knightmares were being kept a bit longer. But that meant that she was stuck in the same building as the incompetent leaders and Cornelia. In any case, Kallen would have rather dealt with Rakshata. The woman actually liked her, or so she thought. It was hard to tell.

Kallen rolled her shoulders, stretching the muscles there before sighing. There were other ways to think about this crazy mission to the Chinese Federation; they would be freeing up a supply line, running system tests with Rakshata's new equipment and taking a vacation. Personally, Kallen didn't think that the Chinese Federation would be putting up much of a fight over losing their territories, not with what she had heard in the rumor mill.

Apparently some of the secrets that the High Eunuchs had kept hidden had suddenly sprung to light, like deals to marry off the emperor's daughter to Britannia to secure their own positions. Not only that, but they were willing to become the next area, Area 19. That had put the people in this uproar, the idea of bowing to Britannia just because some fat old men wanted more power and money. And the High Eunuchs hadn't fought back, probably because most of Britannia's forces were so close and a muster of arms that size would turn Britannia against them. There had also been rumors that the High Eunuchs had lost control of the Chinese Federation's army. It was only a matter of time before the people attacked the High Eunuchs themselves, but the Chinese Federation was still in a state of panic.

It was the perfect time to free India and gather some allies and troops for the fight against Lelouch; which was why Kallen was so against it. It was too perfect. Lelouch was up to something, and she would have preferred to remain in Japan to see what it was. Still, orders were orders. Kallen gritted her teeth. And she would obey them from Ohgi, he was the best thing to happen to the Black Knights in a long while. Naoto may have been their founder and the best leader they had had so far, Ohgi was the one keeping them together after their merge with the JLF and the time after the JLF had broken up. She wouldn't disgrace him.

That left her nothing to do but follow orders, but she would listen and think. She was willing to believe that Cornelia would withhold information from them for the express purpose of wiping them out later, and that the Britannian thought that they were ignorant. The Black Knights were anything but. After this was all over, they would keep a strong hold of Japan and never let it go again. Cornelia was stupid to believe that the Japanese would just let another Britannian rule over them, not after all of this struggle and bloodshed.

She would live to see Japan as its own country again, or die trying.

* * *

 _January 15, 2018_

Suzaku closed his eyes and tipped his head back against Lelouch's carefully stroking fingers, lulled into a doze by the motion and the faint rustle of paper. It was probably good that Lelouch had decided to move all his work into Suzaku's temporary room, or else Suzaku would have been bouncing off the walls at this point. Everything still hurt, but he had long gotten used to that. He felt fine otherwise, although he was sure that Lelouch would have him dragged bodily back to the room if Suzaku ever wandered out.

He opened one eye as Lelouch chuckled, the emperor glancing down at him before waving the papers in his hand. "They fell for it."

Suzaku stared at him, finally deciding that it was better to speak than to just lie there and wait for Lelouch to stop gloating. "Fell for what?"

"The Black Knights have sent most of their force over to India to help it gain its freedom from the Chinese Federation, leaving most of their commanders behind, save for Cornelia and Tohdoh." The papers were waved again, Suzaku assuming that it meant that this was a report from the spy that Lelouch had in the Chinese Federation.

"So, we could crush them now?"

"Indeed. If we took away their command then they would be useless, if just for a little while longer."

Suzaku raised an eyebrow at that, propping himself up on his elbows. "So that's why you're not attacking, aside from the fact that you don't know where their hide out is."

"Yes." Lelouch gave an annoyed sigh, letting the papers drop onto Suzaku's stomach. "It wouldn't be worth the trip. Besides, their forces will probably be exhausted from their project in the Chinese Federation and I have more pressing things to do here."

"Like work out how to have Area 18 work independently?" Lelouch glared at him, Suzaku laughing before picking up one of the papers on his stomach, wincing at the pull on his injured side. "Why don't you just let it return to the way it was before? The government worked then. Why reinvent the wheel?"

It took all the self control that Suzaku had at the moment not to laugh at the expression on Lelouch's face. Shock and embarrassment were two expressions that were not seen often on Lelouch's face.

Suzaku bit his lip to keep himself from laughing, twisting so he could press his forehead against Lelouch's shoulder. "Keep it simple, alright? I promise, it's all going to work out."

"How are you so sure?"

He just smiled, watching as Lelouch realized what he had been going to say. The emperor rolled his eyes and gently pushed Suzaku back down, not making any move to retrieve the papers still on Suzaku's stomach. "That's getting annoying, you withholding information from me."

"Lelouch, I-"

"I know you promised me." Lelouch's hand had returned to his hair, gently stroking. Suzaku leaned into the touch, watching Lelouch's face closely. The emperor had his eyes focused on the opposite wall, Suzaku waiting for the quick glance down at him that meant that Lelouch had finished thinking and was ready to speak. A sigh came before the glance, Lelouch shaking his head. "It's probably best that you don't tell me. It's not the time to distract myself with other problems."

Suzaku started at that. Wasn't he another problem? A crippled knight who had yet to be able to walk on his own? So far he had managed to drag himself around the bed and then use the wall to get to the restroom. He couldn't even reach Lelouch's shoulder when they were kissing with his left hand, it always rested on Lelouch's forearm. He was obviously in no condition to be protecting the emperor and in no condition to pilot a Knightmare Frame. So what use was he?

He went to roll away from Lelouch, freezing as Lelouch's hand tightened in his hair. "Stay. I don't care."

"What?"

"I don't care that you're hurt."

Suzaku stared at Lelouch, the emperor sighing and reaching down to brush the papers off of Suzaku's stomach. After he was done, Lelouch rested his hand there, careful to keep away from Suzaku's right side. "I enjoy your company."

"You…like having me around?"

"Yes." Lelouch nodded quickly, his fingers beginning to gently stroke Suzaku's stomach. "For more than just one reason. I've said before that you're a competent guard and a loyal knight." Lelouch looked uncomfortable for a moment, the emperor ducking his head to hide his eyes behind his bangs. "You told me that you thought you loved me once…"

"When?" Suzaku felt his heart beat faster, hoping that Lelouch couldn't feel it.

When had he let those three words out? He didn't remember doing it, not even when Lelouch had curled up next to him to sleep for the past few nights. He couldn't remember much of what he had said at the hospital, that time was all a big blur until his last few days there.

Suzaku shook his head, dislodging Lelouch's hand from his hair. He rolled off of Lelouch's lap, staring at the emperor from his new position. "I apologize, your majesty, I don't remember saying that. But it was out of line."

Lelouch stared at him in shock, Suzaku careful to roll away when Lelouch tried to touch him. He shouldn't have let that slip out before. If he said it, then it made it somehow more real. Unsaid, it was just a jumble of emotions, not solid or real at all. Unsaid, he could just pretend that they were knight and emperor, ones who sometimes enjoyed the benefits of their closeness to have sex. If pressed, the most he would admit was that they were friends.

He tried to move away from Lelouch again, misjudging where he put his elbow. Suzaku hissed in pain as he collapsed onto his right side, automatically reaching for the injury, despite the fact that it wouldn't do him any good. He curled up as he felt the bed move, instinctively try to protect himself as Lelouch loomed over him one minute. The next, the emperor was coaxing him from his curled up position.

"Suzaku." He looked up as Lelouch spoke his name, surprised when Lelouch nearly pulling him upright to hold him close. Suzaku shivered, trying to calm his breathing as Lelouch gently stroked his back. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Suzaku closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the closeness of Lelouch.

It was rare that Lelouch would hold him like this. Lelouch didn't like being clung to or restricted. But he did enjoy brief contact, a touch on the shoulder making Lelouch smile like Suzaku had given him a hug. Lelouch wasn't a tactile person while Suzaku very much was. It was probably because of his mother's addiction to Refrain or his days out on the streets; he didn't really know the explanation or care. He liked being held and, as long as Lelouch was holding him, he was content with what little he got.

Lelouch pulled away partially, still keeping his arms around Suzaku's waist. "It was the first night in the hospital, right after you woke up." Suzaku muttered a curse, grabbing a fistful of Lelouch's shirt. The emperor continued seemingly without noticing. "You told me that you didn't want to leave and that you didn't want to let me die."

"Oh God."

"I'm guessing there's a reason you specifically said let."

"Y-yes."

Lelouch was silent for a while, Suzaku glancing between Lelouch's shirt and the door. Would it be too rude to call Gino in and ask that he escort Lelouch out because he wanted to take a nap? But he hadn't bothered before, he had just fallen asleep leaning against Lelouch or on Lelouch. A few times, he had woken up with Lelouch's papers scattered around him and Lelouch curled up against him. That excuse wouldn't work, and he couldn't think of anything else because he liked it when Lelouch held him. He sighed and pressed his forehead against Lelouch's chest, waiting for the calm demand to tell Lelouch everything.

Instead, he felt Lelouch brush a hand through his hair. Suzaku glanced up at the emperor, getting a glimpse of discomfort in Lelouch's expression. He swallowed and tried to pull away, surprised when Lelouch tightened his grip. He only had a moment to glance up at Lelouch before he was pushed onto his back.

He stared up at Lelouch in surprise, watching as the emperor seemed to struggle with himself. Lelouch finally shook his head and braced himself over Suzaku, still careful to avoid Suzaku's injuries. "I shouldn't trust you." Suzaku felt his stomach begin to knot, but forced himself to nod. "I shouldn't trust you because you deliberately withhold information from me and, from the clues you drop, I know that you know more that you appear to. On the other hand, you are extremely, and in some cases, stupidly loyal and have not made a move against me. You're presenting quite a problem."

Suzaku began to stammer out an apology. He was cut off halfway through as Lelouch leaned down to kiss him, Suzaku going limp out of shock.

Lelouch pulled back quickly, staring down at him. "Against my better judgment, the best thing to do in these circumstances is to remain willfully ignorant. But understand this, Kururugi. If you ever do anything that would hurt Nunnally-"

"I would never!" Suzaku shook his head frantically, managing to calm himself down when he saw a hint of a smile on Lelouch's face. So this was all just a test, or Lelouch trying to figure out how to treat Suzaku. Maybe it was both, but at least it was an end to the conversation. And they had a decision and Suzaku had a way out. With Lelouch's decision to just trust him, he would never have to actually explain why he knew the things he knew. But he wanted to.

He wanted to because it would be proof that Lelouch could trust him, and because he wanted Lelouch to die knowing the truth. It had to be some kind of comfort to know that one person in the world didn't hate him completely after his death.

"Lelouch, you know that I would never do anything to hurt you or Nunnally." He reached up with his right hand to touch Lelouch's face, taking a deep breath. "But you still have the right to know. Which is why-"

He was cut off as Lelouch lowered his head, kissing him again. Suzaku tensed for a moment before moving to push Lelouch away. "No. You need to know this."

"I don't want to know. I've decided to trust you." The last part of the sentence was followed by a breathless chuckle. "I decided to trust you."

Suzaku didn't get a chance to argue, because Lelouch was kissing him again, this time with a bit more force. Suzaku felt the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile, deciding to go along with Lelouch. He might not want to hear it now, but Suzaku would tell him somehow, even if it was just a note on the day before Lelouch died. It wasn't because Suzaku felt the need to defend himself to the emperor, it was that he believed that Lelouch needed to know to understand him just a bit more. And he didn't want to lie, not to Lelouch.

Suzaku moaned as the emperor slipped a hand under his neck, Lelouch rubbing against that one spot on his neck. Suzaku tried to pull away, Lelouch allowing him to take a quick breath before they were kissing again. He gave up struggling then, not that he had ever really intended to get away. Suzaku let his eyes slide shut, wrapping his right arm around Lelouch's neck to pull him closer, ignoring the pain along his side.

Slowly, he became aware of the heat pooling in his stomach, Suzaku wiggling to try and get out from under Lelouch. They had always stopped before either of them had gotten to this point, both of them in agreement that they should wait until Suzaku was better before continuing. Apparently, that had been forgotten.

Suzaku managed to turn his head away, gasping for breath as Lelouch turned his attention to Suzaku's neck. "L-Lelouch…"

"Sh. We'll ask Gino to bring us another set of clothes."

"What?" Suzaku barely managed to get the word out before he felt Lelouch's hand push past his pants and boxers to rest on his hip. He froze, staring up at Lelouch.

The emperor was watching him carefully, Suzaku shuddering when Lelouch gently rubbed his fingers over skin. "Only if you want to, Suzaku."

"Yes."

He had spoken before he had time to think about it. It had been about three months since the last time they had been together and he was finally feeling normal for once. There was also the matter of the time he had left with Lelouch, nine months until the emperor would have to die. He didn't want to waste any moment that he had. And, finally, Lelouch's hand was so close to where he wanted it and he was a seventeen year old boy.

Suzaku muttered his answer against Lelouch's lips again. Only then did Lelouch move, Suzaku whimpering into the kiss. Lelouch was trailing his fingers towards Suzaku's half hard cock, Suzaku trying his best to get Lelouch to move faster. He gasped when Lelouch finally wrapped his fingers around him, beginning to stroke slowly.

He turned his head to gasp for breath, shivering as Lelouch leaned over him to whisper in his ear. "Quiet. Gino can probably hear us."

"Trying."

Lelouch chuckled, shaking his head before catching Suzaku in a kiss again.

Suzaku moaned, clutching at the material at Lelouch's shoulder as he rocked up eagerly into Lelouch's hand. He kept the motion shallow, wanting to avoid pain in his side. He didn't want Lelouch to go through all of this for him and then not be able to perform. All thoughts were pushed out of his head as Lelouch bit at his neck, combining the action with a clever twist of his wrist. Suzaku had to bite down on his lip to keep from making a noise.

The fact that Lelouch, the same Lelouch who looked disgusted after the pleasant haze of his orgasm had vanished, was jerking him off of his own volition was probably the hottest thing ever. He should have known that Lelouch's slim fingers were talented. He vaguely remembered someone saying something to him about musician's hands, but that was all that he could remember. He didn't know if Lelouch played any instrument, but he was good with his tongue, Suzaku knew that from their kisses. And what if Lelouch wasn't using his hand at the moment, but his mouth…

Suddenly, he was too close. Suzaku tried to pull away from Lelouch, trying to get his brain to work and imagining Lelouch sucking him off. Suzaku managed to stifle his moan, panting for breath as he tried to warn Lelouch. He only managed a strangled whine before he bucked into Lelouch's hand, keeping his voice just below a shout. "Lelouch!"

Suzaku panted for breath, giving Lelouch an apologetic smile as the emperor withdrew his hand. "Sorry, I should have warned you."

"Well, I knew what I was getting into when I started." Lelouch stared at his hand for a moment before shrugging, slipping off the bed to reach for the box of tissues on the stand.

He had just started to clean off his hand when there was a knock at the door. The door opened partially a moment later, Gino sticking his head into the room. "Is everything already in here? I heard Suzaku yell."

"Yes." Suzaku tried not to laugh at the quick glare that Lelouch sent his way. "I accidentally pressed against his side."

Suzaku watched as Gino took in Lelouch cleaning off his hand and his own rumpled state with a raised eyebrow. Lelouch's excuse probably wouldn't pass the muster in this case, Gino had already seen them sleeping curled up against each other. Suzaku sighed and shook his head, that motion enough to keep Gino from saying whatever had come to mind.

Instead, the blond bowed. "My apologies, your highness."

"Gino, wait. Repeat again what just happened."

Gino glanced at Suzaku, Suzaku realizing that he would have to tell Gino everything now. It wouldn't be the think to make Gino keep his silence, but his friend would just bug him until he explained. Suzaku sighed and nodded, that enough to make Gino beam at him. Of course, when Lelouch looked his way, he was playing the serious knight again. "I heard Suzaku scream and investigated. The cause of the scream was because of pressure placed on the wound on his side."

"Correct. Thank you Sir Weinberg."

Gino bowed and the door slid shut behind him. Suzaku sighed, reaching up with his good hand to rub his face. He jumped when Lelouch sat by him again, allowing the emperor to clean up what he could of his skin before Lelouch gave up and went to search through the drawers for a new pair of pants for him. Suzaku briefly considered getting off the bed to help him, but was stopped with the glare that was thrown his way. He tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. "You know I'm going to have to explain it all to him."

"Why?"

Suzaku looked back towards Lelouch, struggling to form a coherent answer. "It's what friends do. You tell each other when you are in a relationship."

"Even if it's with the emperor?"

"Even then."

Lelouch stared at him before throwing a new pair of pants his way, Suzaku catching them awkwardly and starting to wiggle out of his stained pants. He was hit in the face by the new shirt that came his way, Suzaku pausing to glare at Lelouch. "It's not like I'm going to brag about my skills in bed, Lelouch. He just wants to know what's going on and how long it's been going on."

"I doubt that Gino Weinberg will stop at that."

Suzaku shook his head and slipped into the clean pair of pants, pausing as he reached for his shirt. Lelouch sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully guiding Suzaku through the process of taking off his shirt, just like he had done every day since Suzaku had gotten back. Suzaku let him do it, sighing when Lelouch helped him put the new shirt on. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm used to it from Nunnally."

Suzaku stared at his hands, laughing and shaking his head. "Am I getting any better?"

"Well, you can freely use your right arm, which is better than when you came here. And you're able to reach farther with your left." Suzaku sighed again, forced to look up at Lelouch as the emperor tipped his chin up. "Don't worry, I'm not retiring you yet. We have a lot to accomplish together."

"Yes, your majesty."

Lelouch smiled, stroking his fingers along Suzaku's jaw line before gathering the papers that had been scattered over the bed and onto the floor. When the emperor went to sit at the top of the bed, Suzaku followed.

He settled himself against Lelouch, watching as the emperor went back to looking through his papers like nothing had happened. It only took moments for Lelouch's arm to rest on Suzaku's shoulders and his fingers to start rubbing Suzaku's neck. Suzaku relaxed into the touch, twitching when Lelouch found the spot on his neck.

He thought he caught a glimpse of a smile from Lelouch as he poked Lelouch's fingers over. "Sneaky."

Lelouch didn't seem to hear his remark, but he was probably just ignoring Suzaku because he had been caught. Suzaku rolled his eyes and relaxed. It was one of the better days in his book; Lelouch was being tactile and he was sleepy from the hand job that Lelouch had given him. At least he had that to distract him from the need to do something that had made up all of his days so far.

He was just beginning to doze off when Lelouch abruptly stopped moving his fingers, Suzaku sitting up at that. Automatically, he scanned the room, searching for danger. He relaxed when there was none, surprised to feel Lelouch guiding him back down. "Lelouch?"

"Just a thought, Suzaku."

Suzaku settled back down, fixing his gaze on the door despite his lethargy. He trusted Gino, but he was still a knight and he would protect Lelouch to the best of his abilities; even if that did involve staggering across the room to just lend his weight to keeping someone on the ground.

He looked up when Lelouch's fingers rested on his neck again, watching as Lelouch stared at the papers without reading them. He only had to wait a moment for Lelouch to look over at him. "I've told you that we won't be discussing what you said while recovering in the hospital, but there is something…about what you said."

"What part?"

Lelouch shifted in place, still not looking at him. "I don't do this," Lelouch gestured with his free hand at the two of them, "with just anyone. Not with people I trusted or liked. I don't…I…"

Suzaku smiled, turning his head to press a kiss against Lelouch's neck. "I understand."

Lelouch glanced at him, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a smile before he went back to work. Suzaku watched him for a moment before closing his eyes, Lelouch's fingers starting up their gentle rubbing again. Suzaku sighed, listening to the faint rustle of paper as Lelouch worked.

He understood now, why Lelouch wasn't trying to push him for that information, why Lelouch was taking care of him when he could just was easily order the servants to. It was because Lelouch was in the same situation that he was in, stuck in the same awkward place with different consequences. For all Lelouch knew, Suzaku was leaving when Lelouch was done here, and the emperor couldn't be sure if he would see him again, which was why he was hesitating to say those words that would lead to some sort of attachment. Even without those words they were pretty firmly attached to one another, they were the emperor and his knight, the two that were going to change the world.

He preferred Lelouch not being able to say it, because then he would have gotten even more attached. It would be another person close to him that he had let down, and Suzaku didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to mess up the future of the entire world just because he had found some happiness here. It wouldn't be right.

* * *

Lelouch glanced over at Suzaku, smiling as he saw that the knight was asleep. He stopped his gentle rubbing and pulled Suzaku closer to him, wrapping an arm around Suzaku's waist to keep him up. And much as he hated to admit it to himself, he was getting used to Suzaku's seemingly endless need to cuddle close to him. And Lelouch allowed it, because it felt comfortable. It was a reminder that Suzaku was really here and this was not a bad dream, like the ones where his mother and Daiki appeared. Suzaku wouldn't be slipping away from him, which meant he wouldn't lose a competent guard and a skilled pilot.

Aside from all of that, Lelouch trusted Suzaku with his life. He trusted Suzaku despite the fact that Suzaku was obviously withholding information from him.

It mattered somewhat, but he was just frustrated that, for once, someone could read the plans of his family better than he could. That someone could take the quickest glance at what he was working on and know what he was doing, and that they didn't need it explained to them. There was some part of Lelouch that was not ready to give up being smarter than everyone around him, but Suzaku's advice was usually sound, and he could count on the knight to give it when asked. And Suzaku would tell him what he needed to know without prompting, which was why Lelouch had retracted his demand to make Suzaku explain why he knew these things. It didn't matter in the end, because he had won Lelouch's trust.

That thought alone had made him ecstatically happy. He had learned to trust this man, the one that he had allowed so close to him and to sleep with him. He had managed to trust Suzaku because he wanted to, despite the overwhelming evidence that he shouldn't. While Lelouch wasn't going to make a habit of such blind trust, there was a certain joy to be found in the fact that he still could trust like that. He thought it had been knocked out of him when his mother had died, the ability to trust his gut instinct instead of carefully gathered facts. He had only been willing to trust Daiki like this when the boy had showed that he was absolutely loyal to Lelouch.

He hid his smile in Suzaku's hair, giving the door to his bedroom a quick glance. He wouldn't put it past Gino to peek in the name of making sure that Lelouch was still alive. But this was probably the safest room in the whole building, surrounded by other rooms and without windows. Lelouch would have used this room as a bedroom himself or his sister. if he didn't think he would go crazy without being able to look outside. He didn't want to just know what he was doing, he wanted to be able to see it. There was only so much he could gain from just reading reports and hearing what was going on. Besides, Nunnally liked the sunlight. She said that, after having been temporarily blind, she never wanted to live anywhere where she couldn't see the sun. And Lelouch could deny her nothing.

Lelouch sighed, feeling Suzaku stir against him. He tightened his hold on Suzaku, waiting for his knight to settle down again before lifting his head to glance around the small room. He would keep this room furnished instead of sending everything back to storage. To keep up the act, he needed Suzaku to be close to him at all times, and a room readily available in case the JLF tried to search the building. He wanted the people to suspect how close they were, not know it. If the people thought that he had managed to corrupt a Number, then they might stop fighting against him. There was a chance for them to reach a position this high, but the risk was to become like Suzaku.

But Lelouch wasn't going to let it sit at that. Suzaku would be something to be feared to. He would silence all rumors that the knight had gotten seriously injured during the fight with the Rounds, but had faked it at his order. The doctor that had operated on Suzaku had already agreed to this.

Lelouch smiled, leaning back. He was an emperor who could never be beaten, with a knight who had yet to be defeated at his side. That would strike fear into the hearts of people, and rumors would spread. Rumors were his best weapon right now; they could build up his reputation faster than he could on his own. And, by the time Suzaku was recovered and ready for action again, the JLF would have exhausted themselves fighting with the Chinese Federation and still have to face him at his full strength. And that would be the end of them.

It was ironic that the JLF thought they were fighting for freedom when they were only delaying it.

He chuckled to himself, trying to keep his voice down so he wouldn't wake Suzaku. His knight would probably appreciate it though, Suzaku was probably going crazy because he had to stay in here. The only orders that Lelouch would take were from Suzaku's doctor. He would keep Suzaku in bed or at least not as active for another week, and then allow Suzaku to move around. He didn't want Suzaku to end up like that one doctor had said, crippled and unable to move. Nunnally was already crippled because of him, he didn't want Suzaku to follow.

Lelouch looked up at a knock on the door, motioning Gino into the room as the door slid open.

Gino glanced at Suzaku, giving Lelouch a quick nod before hurrying over to the side of the bed and speaking in a whisper. "Nunnally was wondering about lunch."

"Of course."

"She was thinking of having it in here." Gino glanced at Suzaku, smiling fondly. "She misses him."

"Ah. Then tell her that we'll eat in here, and to bring enough for you and Anya."

"Your highness?"

"After three months of you sticking close to me and letting me look through your mail, I have come to two conclusions about you Sir Weinberg; that your mother is overbearing and that you probably have enough information about more than half of the former noble ladies to create a thriving business for men who want to marry into money." Gino chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, Lelouch smirking. "But nothing that will prove that you are plotting against me. In plots against your mother, you're probably going to be found guilty."

Gino shrugged, standing up from his bow. "That's good to know."

"Yes, it probably is." Lelouch sighed, freezing when Suzaku muttered something in his sleep and nuzzled Lelouch's neck. He heard Gino chuckle, the knight carefully looking away from them. Lelouch cleared his throat, trying to get his brain back on track while forcing himself not to focus on the warm puffs of breath on his neck. "But, seeing as you have proven your loyalty, I see no reason why I cannot let you go free after Suzaku is well. I think Jeremiah would enjoy the extra help. He's told me several times that he worried about who will take his place when he retires."

Lelouch held back a chuckle as Gino stared at him. "He's not even thirty yet."

"I know. But he's determined not to let another incident with our mother happen. He wants to keep us safe to make up for his failure then." Lelouch struggled to pretend that he wasn't still affected by his mother's death, and he was sure that Gino saw through it. "It would be enough to keep your family at bay, seeing as you are already in a good position."

"The demands for me to get married would keep coming in."

"There's nothing I can do to stop that, unfortunately." Lelouch gave him a crooked smile. "The only thing to do would be to break off with them entirely."

To his surprised, Gino seemed to consider the idea for a moment. "I'll see. But I doubt that will stop them." He gave Lelouch a partial bow, stepping back towards the door. "I'll tell Nunnally about your plans. Should we delay lunch?"

Lelouch looked over at Suzaku, shaking his head. "No. He's going to be mad with me for letting him sleep in the first place. Tell Nunnally we'll be ready for her."

Gino nodded and slipped out of the room, Lelouch turning his full attention to Suzaku. He would let the knight sleep for a few more minutes before waking him up. He still had to hide the papers that he was looking over, Nunnally couldn't find out what he was doing. He trusted his sister, but he knew that she wasn't the best at lying. Besides, there were people that would have to die because of what he was doing, and Nunnally wouldn't like that either.

Lelouch sighed, shaking his head before carefully slipping his arm out from under Suzaku. Suzaku jerked awake at that, glancing around the room fearfully, calming down only when he saw Lelouch was sitting next to him. The knight winced and looked at the floor. "I fell asleep."

"It happens."

"Lelouch, all I do is sleep."

"You're recovering." Lelouch glared at him when Suzaku went to speak again. The knight snapped his mouth shut, Lelouch smiling as he slipped off the bed. "Now, Nunnally is coming to have lunch with us. We'll discuss how you're going to assume your duties afterward. But, only if the doctor says you can."

"Lelouch…"

"You're the best pilot I have, Suzaku. I'm not risking you on something stupid." Suzaku rolled his eyes and pretended to pout, Lelouch seeing how he was fighting back a smile. Lelouch leaned over and gave Suzaku's shoulder a gentle shove. "I can't replace you."

"Of course you can." Suzaku shrugged and carefully maneuvered himself off of the bed, grimacing as he paused halfway through a stretch. "Do I have time for a shower?"

"Probably." Lelouch had to stop himself from getting up as Suzaku carefully made his way out of the room. Suzaku had insisted on attempting everything for himself at least once, and Lelouch had given him that.

He compromised, returning to his room and settling down on the couch there. Positioned like this, Suzaku could attempt to function on his own, but Lelouch was there in case anything happened. Lelouch sighed and leaned back, resting his head against the armrest and staring at the door that led to the bathroom.

If anything happened to Suzaku he would have to redo everything. He was counting on the fact that people would be afraid of Suzaku because he had defeated the Rounds. Lelouch's place in power depended on people thinking that it was impossible to defeat him and that he never made mistakes. Suzaku's was on his skill with the Knightmare Frame, and undefeatable pilot for an undefeatable emperor. Lelouch smiled at that, pushing his bangs out of his face. The Demon Emperor and his sword.

He briefly wondered what nickname history would give to Suzaku. Their true names would be forgotten quickly, Suzaku's faster than his own, but those nicknames would live on, just as he had planned it. The world would see what happened when a tyrant was in power and no one dared to stand up to him, and they would react in the future, change things so that peace was tried for quickly and efficiently. The world had had enough of war.


	20. Chapter 20

** Chapter Twenty **

_February 9, 2018_

Suzaku walked carefully into the A.S.E.E.C. hangar, hissing in a quick breath when he stepped into an indent. A jolt of dull pain went through his side, his newly healed ribs complaining of the pain. The doctor had told him that he couldn't pilot for another month, not even to run tests, just to be sure that the ribs remained whole instead of breaking again. And, to his shock, Lelouch had agreed. Apparently he didn't know Lelouch's plans as well as he should have.

He carefully pressed a hand to his side, standing still to trying and let the pain melt away before moving forward. At least it was better than the weeks before, when moving had been more of a chore than anything. But, when the alterative was lying in bed, Suzaku preferred to risk the pain. When no one had been around, Suzaku had pushed himself a little. It had been hard to find the time to be alone, especially with Lelouch always close by, but Suzaku had done it. He could now raise his left arm up with only a little pain, far better than the doctors had expected. He was still required to wrap up his chest, just as a precaution for his ribs. Still, it was progress.

Suzaku glanced around the seemingly empty hangar, surprised to see the Tristan and Mordred standing by the scaffolding, but no sign of the Lancelot.

Suzaku felt his heart pound faster. Had Lloyd and Cecile been able to fix the Lancelot or had they failed? If that was the case, was the time machine still here? He had never been able to wrap his mind around the complicated paradoxes of time travel, but he understood if the parts that had made something ceased to exist, then it would cease to exist. But if the time machine had disappeared, wouldn't that mean that he should have disappeared as well?

He swallowed nervously, walking as fast as he could to where the time machine was stored. He fumbled over the correct sequence of numbers, biting back a curse as he had to start over. Suzaku tried to calm himself down as he entered the code again.

If the time machine was really gone, then they would be stuck here. He would have failed his mission to go back and save Lloyd and Cecile. He could prevent it from here, but he wasn't sure if he could actually let Lelouch die for that to happen. If he were to stay, he would probably end up saving Lelouch in a moment of weakness. Suzaku was counting on making the most of the few months he had left and then leaving it at that. Knowing that he could stay would increase the temptation.

Now that he thought of it, staying had always been an option.

Suzaku shook his head, biting his lip as he got the right code. If he stayed, then the world would never get changed for the better. He wouldn't be able to just let Lelouch die, he would either save him or be killed himself for not fulfilling his duties in protecting the emperor. He had no doubt that Nunnally would hate him for not being able to save her brother. It was a wonder that she wasn't as cynical as Lelouch was now, but Suzaku had a feeling that was just because he was still around. He didn't want to face Nunnally after she had lost her brother, the same brother that trusted Suzaku with his life.

He also had friends back home, friends that he missed and wanted to see. And he had a life, he had to go to college and actually live. While he didn't have any idea what he would do with his life, he knew that staying here wouldn't be an option. The struggles between the Japanese and Britannians wouldn't be settled until six years after Lelouch's death, and that was only on the surface.

The door slid open, Suzaku looking up and breathing a sigh of relief as he saw that the time machine was there. He stumbled over to it and leaned on the car, running his hand over the armor with a nervous laugh. For a moment, he though that he had been stuck here forever. He pressed his forehead against the armor, trying to calm himself down. That was one mystery solved, but that still didn't tell him where the Lancelot was.

"Ah, our devicer returns." Suzaku jumped at the sound of Lloyd's voice, wincing and pressing a hand against his side. He rested one arm on the top of the car as Lloyd ambled into the room, the scientist giving him a disappointed look. "Still broken?"

"Getting there. Not allowed to pilot until next month."

To his surprise, Lloyd brightened up again. "Fantastic. No use having a devicer around with nothing to pilot."

"W-what?"

"You probably noticed the Lancelot isn't out there."

"Yeah. Where is it?"

"It was a bit much to repair. You did a number on the poor thing." Lloyd sighed. "So I moved it into storage."

"But…what am I-"

"I've decided to improve upon the design, we were adding too many things on. We wouldn't want the Lancelot ending up like the Safir, doomed to wobble forever. So, you'll get a new version to pilot within the month. Cecile is running the last circuit tests out back. Better safe then sorry."

Suzaku shook his head, leaning more of his weight on the car. "But it would have worked fine!"

"I am aware of that. It hurt to lay the poor thing up before it's time, but I was thinking ahead. You should be flattered." Suzaku tilted his head to the side. Lloyd sighed and adjusted his glasses. "This is the armor from the original Lancelot. You said the original was decommissioned in your time. I did some thinking and realized that the only reason that the Lancelot was in active service now is you."

"Me?"

Lloyd nodded. "It was too new and too responsive for most of the soldiers trained on simulators and no one really cared to use it before you came along. Suddenly, there is a devicer where there never was one, a very successful devicer. Thinking ahead taking the events from now, where do you think the Lancelot would end up?"

"I don't know." Suzaku scratched the back of his head. "Museum, I guess, because it was the Knightmare of a Knight of the Round."

"That hardly matters, does it? It's never the machine that's recognized, it's the devicer. And you have made quite the splash, Suzaku." Suzaku's eyes widened as Lloyd laughed. "Now he sees. If we didn't build a new version, the old version would have gone into a museum and this machine would cease to exist. I don't know what would happen to you for sure, but my bet is on you disappearing completely. Cecile thinks you would stay, but I think that's just her being hopefully. It's unlikely that-"

"Thanks Lloyd." Suzaku cut him off quickly, his stomach churning. Lloyd was probably right about him just disappearing, and Suzaku wasn't even sure if he would even exist for Cecile to find. It all depended on what Lelouch would do if he disappeared. If everything went the same, he would just have an endless history of reappearing and disappearing, never growing older than seventeen.

Suzaku shivered. He glanced up at Lloyd before pushing away from the car. "Sorry."

"I forgot, you don't like talking about death, do you?"

"It's kind of final."

"Hm?" Lloyd shrugged and walked back to the door. "Cecile would probably make me apologize. Just imagine that I did."

Suzaku nodded, too used to Lloyd's quirks to argue. Lloyd never meant to insult anyone, at least to Suzaku's knowledge. The man just didn't know how to interact with people, which was where Cecile came in. Lloyd had compared her to his social equivalent of a seeing eye dog once, which had led to him hiding in the lab for a week to get away from Cecile. Suzaku chuckled at the memory, following Lloyd out into the hangar.

Lloyd was skipping now, Suzaku keeping to his own slow pace. He ignored Lloyd's attempts to get him to speed up. He rolled his eyes when Lloyd bounced impatiently by the door that led behind the hangar.

The scientist was out the door moments before Suzaku reached it, Suzaku having to catch it before it slammed shut. He shot a glare a Lloyd before stepping through, carefully placing his feet to avoid pain. He didn't want to spend the night in agony, especially since Lelouch was making it a habit to cuddle with him. He didn't want to tell Lelouch that they couldn't touch because he was in pain.

Suzaku stared at the kneeling form of the Knightmare Frame. It was close enough to the original Lancelot that no one would be able to tell the difference, they would just think that Lloyd had remade the parts that were too damaged to use, but Suzaku could tell. The head was smaller than the original Lancelot, just by the smallest noticeable fraction and the armor was a bit more ornamental looking. The shoulders seemed a little broader, but that seemed to be because there was a new system installed on the back with the cockpit. Suzaku could see the two sheathes for the MVS swords and the holder for the VARIS rifle, but there were also two slats that didn't quite connect with the rest of the body, Suzaku could see the thin black lines around them.

Lloyd bounded up to the base of the Knightmare. "Cecile! We have a visitor!"

Suzaku smiled as he saw the cockpit slid out, raising a hand to wave at Cecile as she came into view.

The woman stared at him for a moment before giving a surprised shout. Cecile lowered the tow rope and used that to scramble down. She gave Suzaku a moment of panic as she came running at him, slowing down just before they could collide. Cecile gave a nervous laugh and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm just…"

"Excited?" Suzaku gave her his own smile before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Gently."

She hugged him, pulling him close and carefully keeping pressure off of his side. Suzaku allowed himself to be held, long after the appropriate time for a hug had passed. He turned his head, catching a glimpse of Lloyd looking impatient, the only warning his got before the scientist stormed over and broke the hug.

"Don't break him again, Cecile. Then what will I do?"

"You'll build another Knightmare to keep you busy. You're not touching this one again." Cecile glared at Lloyd before stepping back, looking at Suzaku. "Really, Suzaku, how are you?"

"A bit sore." Suzaku shrugged. "But everything else is good. I just have to be really careful."

"And you're sure you'll be able to pilot?"

Suzaku sighed, sick of having the question asked of him. Gino and Nunnally were always making sure that he would be alright, always asking him the same questions over and over. He wasn't going to shatter to pieces just because he moved the wrong way, he hoped that he was stronger than that. He knew that they just cared for him, but it was getting annoying. Still, it was nothing like Lelouch. Lelouch would just shoot him looks that were a substitute for the question. So far the only method that Suzaku had figured out to stop those looks was a gentle smile or a touch on Lelouch's arm.

He put on a smile for Cecile. "I'm sure I will be, Miss. Cecile."

"Well, only if the doctor says it's alright."

"Cecile, he wouldn't be out here if the doctor didn't say it was alright." Suzaku stepped to the side to avoid Lloyd, the scientist skipping over to them. He did flinch as Lloyd dropped an arm over his shoulders. "Besides, the poor boy is probably going mad in that room."

"But piloting a Knightmare will just hurt you more, won't it?"

"I'm under strict orders from at least four people to take it easy. That's including his majesty. I'm supposed to spend the next two months getting back into shape both here and with physical therapy." He shrugged again. "It's the ribs that everyone is worried about. Everything else has healed up and has scarred over."

"Only if you're sure."

Lloyd sighed and shook his head. "If I knew you were going to pester the boy, I wouldn't have brought him out here. He says he's fine, so he is. Now, let him have a look at the new Lancelot."

"Lloyd!"

"Don't worry, Miss. Cecile, I just want to look inside." He gave her a smile before walking over to the tow rope and stepping in the stirrup. As the tow rope was pulled back up, he turned his head to look at the two scientists, smiling when he saw that Cecile was talking to Lloyd.

Lloyd was probably getting a lecture for his behavior and brushing it off as he always did. Suzaku shook his head, tipping it back to stare up at where the pilot's chair was waiting. It was going to be awkward to swing up into it, especially with the way the scarring was on his left shoulder. Suzaku swallowed, reaching up to grab onto the edge of the seat before hauling himself into it with a grunt of effort.

He froze in place, still settled on the edge of the seat, as the voices below stopped. Suzaku glanced down at Cecile and Lloyd before sliding fully into the seat, pressing the button that would slide him completely into the cockpit.

He was engulfed by the familiar darkness for a moment before the screens flickered back to life, Suzaku glancing them over. Many of them were the same, but some had been expanded to cut away at the blind spot behind him. The blind spot was still there, but he had a few more inches on either side, which was better than before.

Suzaku chuckled and leaned forward, his hands curling around the joysticks, viewing the cockpit from his new position. He could feel his side protesting from the position and the way his ribs were bound felt weird because he was slightly hunched over. It wasn't anything that he couldn't get used to, and it didn't cause a lot of pain. Suzaku quickly straightened up, running his hands carefully over the panels, looking at all of the buttons. He was sure Lloyd would explain them to him later.

He sighed and pressed the button to send the seat out again. He wasn't used to this strange jealousy. He wanted to be the one to run the tests, not Cecile, because the Lancelot was his Knightmare Frame. Suzaku shook his head, blinking quickly as he was pushed back into the sunlight.

It was easy enough to scramble out of the seat and ride the tow rope down, Suzaku watching as Cecile took his place. At least he could see what the new Lancelot could do, but it wasn't the same as being inside and actually hearing it. In battle, the sound of the Lancelot was his only hint that all the systems were running smoothly. He had gotten so used to never seeing the Lancelot do anything but stand from the outside.

Suzaku jumped as Lloyd came over, the scientist resting an arm on his shoulder. "Prepare yourself."

"For what?"

"We perfected the float system." Lloyd grinned, settling the incom into his own ear. "It's more efficient than the one we've been using."

The scientist stepped away, talking animatedly to Cecile. Suzaku shook his head, taking a few steps back just in case. He didn't know anything about the float system, but he had never focused strictly on the Knightmares themselves. He had been focused strictly on the history, because that was the only thing people talked about. The Knightmares had become something like bombs and tanks, part of war but not of interest because they were always there.

"Alright, Cecile, start it up."

Suzaku jumped back as two bars rose from the Lancelot's sides, the top part of each bar snapping away to form the barest outline of a wing. He felt his mouth drop open as three green feather-like shapes dropped down from the bars. Suzaku stared at the arrangement, glancing over at Lloyd to find the scientist beaming.

Lloyd spoke into the incom, probably telling Cecile to shut off the float system, before bounding over. "Offense and defense. It'll protect the Lancelot just as well as the Blaze Luminous shields will, which are still in there by the way."

"Wow."

"It'll make the Lancelot go faster as well." Lloyd paused, pressing his fingers to the incom. The scientist sighed and shook his head. "Cecile wants me to tell you that we've installed the ejection block this time, so you won't get into the same situation again."

"Thanks." Suzaku chuckled and stared up at the Lancelot. "So that's the new float system. Interesting."

"And you're the only one that will be getting it. The only Britannian anyway. The other models are too bulky for this and the Tristan can fly itself."

"What about the Shinkiro?"

"Ah, already installed. I may have borrowed from that one a bit."

Suzaku raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He turned to stare at the Lancelot as Cecile shut the Knightmare down and clambered back down to the ground. "It's all running well from the inside, nothing wrong there."

"Good, so we'll be able to run a full systems check before waiting for Suzaku here to get clearance." Lloyd skipped off, leaving Suzaku to stare after him.

Cecile patted him on the shoulder, Suzaku turning to look at her. "Don't worry, the Albion works just like the old version."

"Albion?"

"It's what Lloyd's calling it. He says a new model deserves its own name, but it's still the Lancelot."

Suzaku stared at the Knightmare Frame before nodding, feeling himself smile. It was still the Lancelot under all of the improvements. Maybe this time he would be able to keep the Knightmare intact during battle instead of limping back home like before. He didn't think Lloyd would be up to building another new model. "I'll try to keep this one intact."

"Try to keep yourself intact, Suzaku. We can rebuild this."

He opened his mouth to give his usual reply, that he wasn't important only to snap it shut. Instead he nodded and mumbled an excuse about getting back to Lelouch before the emperor worried. He didn't pay attention to what Cecile said, turning around and walking back towards the administrative building.

Before now he had always been the expendable one. He was no one special, just another orphan because of Refrain who had gotten lucky. He had average grades, an average intellect and was expected to go the usual route through life, not that anything about that was bad. Normal is what Suzaku had wanted through his life just because he had never experienced it. Normal was perfectly fine with him, and he was happy. But he was also expendable, because there other people who were better than him, people who had never stolen in their lives, people who were smarter and better who could change the world faster than he could. For their sake, he would always give himself up.

He didn't have that choice here. Here, even though he had changed things beyond what his knowledge through history courses would tell him, he had a better chance of at least guessing at what was coming. He was also the closest one to Lelouch, the only line of defense that the emperor had. So he couldn't just throw himself away now.

Then there was Lloyd and Cecile from his time. He had to get back alive to prevent Lloyd from dying on the street and to save Cecile from the men who were chasing her.

Suddenly he was important, and that brought a smile to his face.

* * *

 _February 16, 2018_

Nunnally took a deep breath as she was pushed up to the roof, opening her eyes. She was a little disappointed that there weren't any early flowers, the garden still mostly bare. But that didn't make it any less beautiful, it was a strange stark beauty, something that would appeal more to Lelouch than her. But the state of the garden didn't matter, it was too beautiful a day to waste and Lelouch had been keeping Suzaku cramped in that room of his.

The only times she saw Suzaku were when she went to speak with her brother and when she was going to her own physical therapy sessions. She had gotten into the habit of going a bit early to spend some time with Suzaku before hand, and the knight often stayed after to walk back to the building with her. In those moments where Suzaku's attention wasn't being hogged by Lelouch, she found that he had a sense of humor and a wonderful smile, but she wasn't going to begrudge their friendship. Lelouch deserved a friend.

She was jerked out of her thoughts as Anya stopped, Nunnally tipping her head back to see that Anya was tense. Nunnally reached up to touch Anya's hand, surprised when the knight walked away from her. When she went to follow, Anya motioned for her to stay there.

Nunnally settled into place, biting her lip to keep herself calm. It was probably nothing, just the servants setting up their picnic or Gino messing around with Suzaku. It was very probably nothing, but after Euphy they couldn't be too careful.

She gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly as Anya came back, surprised at the slightly shocked look on her knight's face. Nunnally tipped her head to the side, making sure to keep her voice down. "Anya?"

"We'll go around."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Sex."

Nunnally nodded, stopping abruptly when she actually processed what Anya had just said. She looked towards the bushes. "Who? Servants?"

"Suzaku and Lelouch."

"What?" Nunnally blushed, staring down at her knees. After a moment, she managed to stammer, "W-we'll take the long way."

"Alright." Anya grabbed onto the wheelchair again, Nunnally burying her face in her hands to try and get rid of her blush.

She knew frightening little about sex, just little snippets gleaned from what she heard from the guards or the maids, what Euphy had told her and what she could read from the romance novels Euphy had allowed her to borrow. From what everyone said, sex was fun, even pleasurable; but what she had read in the novels and heard from some of the maids had her seriously doubting that. But Euphy had always looked so happy the morning after Raleigh had visited her, so Nunnally was at a loss there. She also knew that it made babies, the how and why completely beyond her, Lelouch had told her that in passing once and then panicked that he had even mentioned it.

The final things she knew about sex was that she was to young for it, according to her brother, and Lelouch wasn't interested in it at all. Or that's what she had thought.

All of the parties that they had attended after their summer in exile had been thinly veiled attempts by their father to marry Lelouch off before he caused trouble. When Nunnally had questioned him after the parties, Lelouch hadn't even remembered the women's names or what the looked like. He had told her on many occasions that he wasn't interested. He had continued to be not interested his whole life, or until suddenly to this point.

She and Euphy had worried over Lelouch's seeming obsession with keeping everyone at arms length. She had just thought that Lelouch needed someone that he could trust, and Euphy had shared. Euphy had been the one to suggest that Lelouch might need more than a friend, but Nunnally had kept her thoughts about that idea to herself. At any time before now, her response would have been that Lelouch wasn't interested, running the empire was more important.

And now, Lelouch was suddenly and surprisingly interested.

Nunnally ducked her head, clenching her hands on her lap. She was sure that she could trust Suzaku, there was no question at all about his loyalty after everything that he had done. He was a good friend to both herself and Lelouch, so there was no reason for her to not approve of Lelouch's choice.

So, why did she feel a bit jealous?

It wasn't because she wanted to be in Suzaku's place. Nunnally made a disgusted face at that thought. She loved Lelouch completely, but he was her brother. He doted on her and annoyed to her a certain extent, but she had never thought of Lelouch in that way.

Nunnally shook her head, looking up at the bare branches of the tree above her, spotting a few buds beginning to form. She was aware of all the rumors about the Britannian family, despite Lelouch's best efforts to keep her in the dark. Lelouch sometimes forgot that she was a vi Britannia too. She had all of her brother's brilliance and manipulative cunning, but she had never cared to use it. So she just listened and pretended to be more naïve than she really was, and she had pieced together the rumors.

The people thought that the royal family was a mess of incestuous relationships, the princes and princesses trying to beat their siblings one way or another. In part, it was probably contributed to an emperor back in the early days of the Britannian rule, long enough for people to forget his name, but not what he had done. And there were certainly enough teasing hints for the common people to keep the rumor up, like Lelouch's devotion to her. But there was no truth in the rumors.

Since that was the case, that she didn't feel any romantic love for her brother, why was she jealous of Suzaku?

Maybe it was because someone else was getting all of Lelouch's attention. From her birth she had always been the only one that Lelouch seemed to care about, and she had grown used to it. When he had become emperor he had always made time for her, and she had enjoyed his company. And then Suzaku had come along. While she wasn't forgotten completely, it was like she had to share Lelouch's attention. She still had most of it, but there was a small fraction that wasn't directed on her anymore, and she noticed. It was petty and horribly annoying to her, but she did.

She wasn't the one person in Lelouch's world anymore. Even when Euphy had been alive, she knew that he would always choose her first over anything. And he still would now, but Suzaku was now second in line for his attention, a competitor where she had always had none. She guessed that it was the vi Britannia in her, the part that she tended to ignore, that said that he needed to be taken out of the spot.

Nunnally didn't hate Suzaku for drawing that little fraction of Lelouch's attention. She was happy for her brother. But it would take an adjustment, that was all. Besides, there was going to be a point in her life when she found someone who meant just at bit more to her than Lelouch, and she didn't want Lelouch trying to kill that person.

Nunnally sighed, closing her eyes as Anya continued to wheel her around the garden, trying to think of a way to buy herself more time. The circuit around the garden was only a half an hour walk. Hopefully the two would be done by then, because another circuit would mean that they would have been late by an hour, enough to get Lelouch to worry. She hummed to herself, opening her eyes and looking at the garden. Right now, she just wanted to not think for a moment, enjoy the garden and the anticipation of lunch with her brother and Suzaku. She didn't need to complicate things for herself.

She managed to keep herself distracted for the rest of the walk around the garden, only fiddling with her hands when they approached the spot designated for the picnic again. Nunnally sucked in a quick breath, glancing back at Anya before signaling for them to stop. "Anya, could you check if it is clear, discretely?"

Anya nodded and walked away, Nunnally clutching at the armrests of her wheelchair. She sighed in relief as Anya came back.

"All clear."

"Good. Now, pretend that you didn't know what they were doing. And that's an order, Anya." She didn't want Lelouch's relationship all over the building by the time they got back. He deserved this little bit of happiness. She had only tagged on the order because it was the only way that she would be sure that Anya would listen to her.

She straightened out her skirt as she was pushed into the clearing, smiling when Lelouch looked over at her. Suzaku noticed the movement and knelt to bow to her, Nunnally giggling and motioning for him to get up. "It's just me, Suzaku. You don't have to do that."

"It's the proper protocol, Nunnally."

She smiled, hating the vicious thought that raced across her mind at that. If he was so insistent on the proper protocol, then he wouldn't be pursuing physical relationship with her brother. Nunnally shook her head, gratefully accepting Lelouch's help in lifting her out of the wheelchair and setting her on the blanket on the ground. For now, she would just ignore all bad thoughts about Suzaku, because that was just her jealousy talking.

Lunch was excellent, and Nunnally enjoyed the time she could spend with her brother. Even after the surprise, it was worth it seeing as Lelouch was so busy running the empire. She lay back on the blanket, staring up at the cloudless sky, eventually pulling Lelouch down beside her. Nunnally closed her eyes, listening to Lelouch talk, glad that she had encouraged him onto a subject that he could talk endlessly on. It didn't even matter that it didn't interest her, she was aware of how little time they could be together until something called him away.

To her despair, the distraction came sooner than she would have liked.

Nunnally sat up partially as Suzaku tensed, the knight staring back towards the building. Lelouch was on his feet a moment later, Nunnally twisting her body to see who was coming. She sighed when she recognized the person who was walking towards them, waving at Jeremiah.

As expected, Lelouch walked over to meet Jeremiah, waving Suzaku back. Nunnally sighed and sat up, watching her brother over her shoulder. Depending on the news, Lelouch would either spend another half hour with her or go immediately. By the way the two of them were talking, the more likely outcome was Lelouch leaving immediately.

Nunnally looked over at Suzaku. Now might be her only chance to talk to him, especially with everything she had heard was going on. The Chinese Federation was being torn apart from the inside and the JLF were helping them. The group was helping free the nations of the Chinese Federation. If they were successful, and they would be because Lelouch was making no move to stop them, then they would have allies nearby. Maybe even enough for a promise of troops that would outnumber the Britannians here. With that problem looming, Suzaku would be sticking closer to Lelouch.

She cleared her throat, glad that the sound got Suzaku's attention. "Suzaku."

"Yes, my lady?"

Nunnally patted the blanket beside her, watching as Suzaku hesitated before kneeling on the edge. She gave him a smile, hoping that it would encourage him to get comfortable. She knew that he didn't want to get into a position where he would have trouble getting to Lelouch, but they were safe with Jeremiah there. "I wanted to talk to you about Lelouch."

Suzaku stared at her for a moment before smiling. "My condition won't hinder his safety, Nunnally. I won't let it."

"Not about that." Nunnally bit her lip to keep herself from laughing at the look of confusion that crossed his face. She reached out to pat the hand that he had rested on the blanket, reassuring him. "No, I wanted to talk about your relationship with my brother."

It was there for only a moment, the look that was equal parts shock and fear. Then it was gone, replaced by an eerie blank expression, but that single moment told her all she needed to know. Suzaku and Lelouch were in a physical relationship and Suzaku would try to deny it.

Nunnally sighed and patted his hand again. "I'm not going to demand that you stop, although I might demand that you keep going."

"Really?"

"Of course." Nunnally smiled to herself. "Lelouch doesn't have anyone other than me, and I'll eventually leave." She laughed when Suzaku's smile disappeared, reaching out to gently push on his shoulder. "Not like that. I have plans on finding someone to marry, for love of course. I can't just hang around Lelouch forever. But I want to be sure that you're not doing this for other reasons."

Suzaku had looked away from her before, but turned back to stare at her. "Why would there be other reasons?" Suzaku looked like he was going to stay something else, but he snapped his mouth shut. He stared at the ground for a long while before looking up at her. "I'm loyal to Lelouch because I believe in what he is doing."

"Killing people?"

"No. I just mean…" Suzaku seemed to struggle with words for a moment before his sighed. "The ends justify the means in this case. I hate to admit it, because I hate watching people die and I hate killing them. But it's for the best."

Nunnally forced herself not to respond the way she wanted to. It was too late for discussions, and she wasn't the one in power in the first place. She swallowed, reaching up to push her hair out of her eyes. "So, you're loyal to Lelouch?"

"More than the empire itself." Suzaku gave her a lopsided smile before looking away. "I wouldn't do anything that would cause him harm, Nunnally. My life is his."

"Thank you." She rested her hand over his. "Just take good care of him, that's all I ask."

"I will." Suzaku rested his hand over hers for a moment, pulling away and getting to his feet. Nunnally turned to look over her shoulder, watching as Lelouch walked back over to them, Jeremiah trailing behind.

"India has succeeded in breaking free of the Chinese Federation. It seems that things are progressing faster that I anticipated." He glanced over at Suzaku before sighing and sinking down onto the blanket again. Lelouch rubbed a hand over his face. "They're calling themselves the Black Knights now, it seems like the JLF was destroyed in their attack on Tokyo last year. Cornelia is still with them."

Lelouch paused and shook his head. "They might have more than the support of India, the EU could be supporting them without my knowledge." Lelouch pressed his fingers together, staring at Nunnally over the tops of them. "With that in mind, I'm moving Sir Weinberg to work on protecting you, Nunnally."

Nunnally leaned forward to grab his sleeve. "What about you, Lelouch?"

Lelouch glanced over at Suzaku, smiling at the knight. "Suzaku is back in shape for active duty. He'll become my personal knight. Besides, I've missed having him around."

Nunnally glanced at Suzaku, watching the smile the two exchanged. She hid her smile behind her hand, looking away. They were surprisingly obvious once you knew what was going on. Nunnally was surprised that more people didn't know that the two of them were together.

She managed to wipe the smile from her face when she looked back at Lelouch. "So, you'll be announcing this publicly?"

"Not right now, there are more important matters." Lelouch sighed, leaning closer to her. "Sorry to cut this short."

"I don't mind. The empire is more important than me." She watched Lelouch's face fall, reaching out for her brother. "Lelouch, I…"

"Nothing is more important than you, little sister." Lelouch leaned forward to kiss her forehead before standing up.

Nunnally waved away his offer to help her back into her wheelchair. "I want to stay out here for a bit longer. It's a nice day."

Lelouch glanced uncertainly at Anya before nodding. "Just don't stay too long."

She smiled and waved as he walked away, watching how close Suzaku stood to him. Nunnally shook her head at the small burst of jealousy that it caused. The way she was reacting was stupid, Lelouch would never be so callous as to forget about her. Still…

"Jeremiah, do you trust Suzaku?"

The man stared at her before nodding slowly. "I find that I do. He would go far. It's unfortunate that he's an Eleven."

Nunnally ignored the racist remark, it was a part of Jeremiah that she had come to accept. She didn't have to agree with what he said about the Numbers and their lifestyles, but his insights on a person were usually very good. She tipped her head to the side, staring at the bare garden.

She would ask Lelouch when he thought he could clear the rebellion up and maybe figure out a way for him to pardon Cornelia and Schneizel. They were both still confused about why Lelouch was doing this. And so was she. But she trusted her brother to tell her about it when the appropriate time came. Until that time, she would enjoy the knowledge that her brother had someone and wait in eager anticipation for the garden to bloom.

* * *

 _March 12, 2018_

Lelouch sat on his bed, watching as Suzaku pulled off his shirt. He caught the smirk that his knight sent his way, Lelouch shaking his head and leaning back on his hands. "Not tonight."

To his surprise, Suzaku took the news without complaint. "Yes, your majesty."

Suzaku folded his shirt, setting it aside with his clothes for the maids to get when they came into the room early in the morning. Lelouch scooted over on the bed, letting Suzaku slip under the covers beside him. He made no move to join Suzaku under there, leaning forward and resting his chin on his palm.

His knight withstood his scrutiny for a moment before sighing. "Lelouch, you're getting my hopes up."

Lelouch snorted and gave Suzaku a disgusted look. "Is that all you think about?"

"No. But you seem pretty fixated about it now that I've been deemed ready for action again." Lelouch looked away, catching the beginning of Suzaku's grin. "Not that I'm complaining."

"You have no right to complain." It was Lelouch's turn to grin as he settled back against the pillows. He was pleasantly surprised when Suzaku curled up against him, one arm settling around his waist.

"Can't cuddle properly."

"Good. I don't understand your need to cuddle."

"It's comfortable." Suzaku looked up with a smile. "And comforting. I like to know that you're still here with me."

Lelouch blushed and looked away, dropping his hand to rest on Suzaku's. They sat in silence for a while, Lelouch stroking his fingers over the back of Suzaku's hand. He smiled when Suzaku shifted to press his forehead against Lelouch's hip, moving his hand so it could rest on Suzaku's head.

Suzaku was the one to break the silence.

"So what's so important to order no excess touching?"

"We have to discuss what will happen at the end." That made Suzaku tense, Lelouch trying to calm him down by stroking his hair. "The assassination."

"R-right. Right." Suzaku sat up slowly, not letting go of Lelouch. If anything, his grip got a bit tighter.

Instead of triggering fear or worry, it worked in the opposite way. He was comforted by Suzaku holding him closely, because he was safe. Lelouch shook his head, pushing the need to analyze what he was thinking away. There was something more important to worry about.

"Yes. We should plan ahead to be sure that we both have adequate time to escape with everything we need. A date will be set later when we are sure of our victory." Lelouch glanced down at Suzaku, watching as the knight nodded. He tried not to be too disappointed when Suzaku let go of him and leaned back against the headboard of the bed.

"You already have a plan."

Lelouch smiled and nodded, shifting so he could face Suzaku. "I plan to capture the leaders of the Black Knights. There will be executions, enough to make the people hate me, but not enough to have these leaders reject my offer immediately. We they are taken to be executed, I will have a small group of guards and myself escort them to a deserted place and then we'll talk."

"Talk?"

"I can't leave Japan with nothing to start over with." Lelouch shrugged. "The people already trust them and they have experience."

"So, we make our move after that?"

"Yes. Starting with Nunnally." Lelouch swallowed, trying to push away that nausea that the thought caused. He was plotting to kill Nunnally. Even if it was faked it felt like betrayal. He had promised that he would never let anything hurt her and, for a time, she would be scared and alone, because of what he was planning.

Lelouch jumped as Suzaku rested a hand on his shoulder, numbly allowing Suzaku to turn him onto his side. He watched as Suzaku slid down so they were facing each other, Suzaku's arm draped over his shoulder. "You know you can just send her away right? You can have her step down and announce the successor that you chose as her own. No one will begrudge her going off to mourn and to get away from the empire that killed her brother. If you just explain it to her, I'm sure she'll understand."

He stared at Suzaku, surprised when the knight just smiled at him and leaned forward so their foreheads were pressed against each other. "That's your problem Lelouch, you figure out one solution and it becomes the only one.'

"But…the people need to-"

"Hate you, I know. But there are other ways of doing that, ways that don't make you hate yourself." Suzaku chuckled. "Let me help you, Lelouch, I'm your knight. Leave Nunnally out of this part. I'm sure she'll act perfectly if you just tell her what you are planning."

Lelouch sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He heard Suzaku groan, surprised when he felt Suzaku shift closer to him. "Lelouch, listen to me. I know you've planned this for a while, but think. Will people really be willing to accept their next emperor if you chose him?"

He opened his eyes, starting at Suzaku. The knight had a valid point. He had been hoping to find a person who was the exact opposite of who he was, one that would show the people that they were nothing like their predecessor. It would have worked, but this other way would get guaranteed results. And the reasons for Nunnally withdrawing made sense, people wouldn't look for her.

Lelouch licked his lips, giving Suzaku a shaky smile, forgetting that the knight couldn't see the expression. "That…that makes sense."

"Good. Don't overcomplicate things, Lelouch."

He snorted, rolling away from Suzaku. To his annoyance, that didn't seem to deter the knight. Suzaku just took the opportunity to press himself against Lelouch's back. Lelouch shivered as Suzaku blew on his neck, the knight chuckling and leaning over Lelouch. "What else your majesty?"

Lelouch found the urge to turn over onto his back, Suzaku would still get the upper hand there. He was better off just staying where he was. Lelouch cleared his throat, staring at the wall. "There's the matter of our disappearances. Jeremiah is busy looking through suitable successors, so it's up to me to find someone to act the part of my assassin. I was hoping that you would agree to do it."

"Why me?"

Lelouch looked over his shoulder, not sure what to make of the dread on Suzaku's face. He hesitated before turning around to stare at Suzaku. Lelouch met Suzaku's gaze for a moment before placing his hand on Suzaku's neck. Suzaku wasn't listening now, he knew that look too well. Suzaku's eyes were wide and he was staring at a spot straight ahead of him. Lelouch carefully tucked his head under Suzaku's chin, stroking the back of Suzaku's neck. To his relief, that brought Suzaku back.

The knight wrapped his arms around Lelouch, pulling him closer. "Why me, Lelouch?"

"Because I trust you. And I know you won't mess up." Lelouch wanted to look up at Suzaku to see the knight's expression, but couldn't move from where he was pressed up against Suzaku. He frowned, but kept talking. "Nobody will know it's you and they'll be too shocked that I'm dead to do anything about it."

He thought he heard a whimper from Suzaku. Lelouch bit his lip, taking a moment to think over the action before he kissed Suzaku's throat, hoping that it would calm his knight. "Suzaku, I'm not really dying, I promise you that. That's why I want you to be the one to do it, I can't trust anyone else."

Suzaku slowly let go of him, Lelouch taking his chance and sliding partially out of Suzaku's embrace. He kept their legs tangled together, wanting Suzaku to know that he wasn't completely deserting him. "You'll be a nameless, faceless hero to the people, the man who killed the emperor. And they will never suspect that it was you, because Suzaku Kururugi will be reported as dead an hour before the assassination."

"What?"

Lelouch smirked. "And that's the master stroke to this plan. We find an excuse for the two of us to be apart and set up the scene. The only people who enter and get to view it are the people who know what is going on, a doctor, Lloyd and Cecile. The funeral will be quiet, because you were a traitor to your people and so many wanted to kill you."

"And your funeral?"

"Televised with a closed casket. There will always be rumors, but we'll have a crowd of people to say that they saw me killed. Plus there will be the bloodstained clothes." Lelouch grinned. "Perfect matches for us because it'll be our blood, given beforehand of course."

"And that's all there is."

"That's all there is." Lelouch waited for Suzaku to be reassured by his words, surprised that the knight still looked frightened. He sighed and laid back down, allowing Suzaku to pull him close again. "Suzaku, you'll know exactly where I am by the time this is over…if you ever want to come by."

"I do and I will. There are just…things that I need to take care of first."

"Family?"

"No, friends." Lelouch heard Suzaku take a shaky breath. "But I promise, after that-"

"I'll hold you to that promise." Lelouch waited for a response, surprised when he felt Suzaku shaking. He reached up to turn Suzaku's face towards him. "I know you'll never hurt me Suzaku, or let me get hurt. It's alright, this is an order and I won't hold it against you for following this order."

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you Lelouch."

"I know." Lelouch kissed Suzaku's forehead, relieved that the shaking was stopping. "Now sleep. You'll need it for the tests that Lloyd is going to put you through."

He got a yawn in response, surprised when Suzaku curled up against him, using his shoulder as a pillow. Usually it was the other way around. Lelouch stared down at Suzaku's head before gently patting his shoulder, at a loss of what to do.

Suzaku seemed to sense this, glancing up at him. "Lelouch, can I hold you? Just for tonight?"

Lelouch scoffed. "You don't need my permission for that."

He was pleasantly surprised when Suzaku settled back down, one arm draped comfortably across Lelouch's stomach. Lelouch shook his head, absently petting Suzaku's hair. He actually preferred it when he could curl up to Suzaku, because the knight was a good pillow and, when he eventually turned over in his sleep, a good backrest. But he could deal with this. This closeness didn't feel constricting, like he was being held in place. It never did with Suzaku. Lelouch let his head drop back to the pillow, smiling up at the ceiling.

Suzaku wasn't a bad blanket either.

* * *

 _March 16, 2018_

Suzaku rubbed his hand across his eyes, trying to stay awake. The past four nights had been filled with bad dreams, all on the same subject. Sometimes he would be up on the platform, staring at Lelouch as he pressed the gun to the emperor's head and fired. Sometimes he would be watching the recording of Lelouch's assassination knowing that it wasn't fake and the man shooting Lelouch was him. And, even when he couldn't quite remember the dream, he would wake up with his stomach twisting because he just knew that he had killed Lelouch. Thankfully, Lelouch had always been then when he woke up. If Lelouch had been missing, Suzaku was sure that he would have panicked.

He sighed and slumped back against the car, covering his mouth as he yawned. At least this was the last thing he had to do before returning to his room for the night. He had convinced Lelouch to let him talk to Lloyd and Cecile about their plans, it would give him a chance to work out how his own departure would work and warn them about how things might not go as Lelouch thought they would.

The sound of the door sliding open startled him out of the doze he was sinking into, Suzaku having to grab to car to keep from losing his footing. He blinked rapidly, shaking his head before looking up at Lloyd and Cecile. Both of them seemed surprised by his sudden clumsiness, Suzaku blushing and steadying himself again. "Sorry, I haven't slept well."

He ignored Lloyd's chuckle, but Cecile didn't. Suzaku heard the small grunt of pain from Lloyd after Cecile elbowed him in the side. Suzaku rolled his eyes, leaning back against the car. "The emperor asked me to speak to you two about something important."

Cecile looked shocked at the news, but Lloyd just wandered over to the corner and flopped onto the stool there with his usual bored expression. Suzaku watched the two of them for a moment, glancing at the door to double check it was shut on the way before he sighed. "He's planning something to make peace last."

"Peace? Are we even talking about the same emperor here?"

Suzaku looked up at Lloyd. "It's been his plan all along to step down from the throne in a way that would make peace last. He says he's doing it for Nunnally."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow as he leaned forward. "So all of this has been an act? I should have known that he was planning something."

"He's probably going to come down and talk to you two later about what he wants you to do specifically. I wanted to get here first to warn you…and for other obvious reasons."

Cecile took a step towards him. "Do you know what happens, Suzaku? Or is this new?"

"It's new to me, about the plan. But I know what happens, what has to happen." He was trembling now. Suzaku shut his eyes trying to get himself to calm down. He had seven more months to spend with Lelouch, it wasn't like it was happening tomorrow. Even then he had a warning about it, he knew exactly when it was going to happen. So why didn't that make him feel better?

Suzaku looked up as Cecile rested a hand on his shoulder. He stared at her for a moment before pulling her into a hug, barely hearing her squeak of surprise. For a moment, he just forgot that this wasn't his Cecile, the one who would hug him for no reason or would spend hours with him on the sofa as they read or watched television. This was the Cecile that had never met him and wasn't used to him.

Reluctantly, he led her go, mumbling an apology as he shuffled back. He stared at the ground, not even sure how to start explaining now. All he could thing of was going back to Lelouch's room and curling up under the covers. He didn't know whether he wanted to just stare at the wall and try to empty his mind of all thoughts of the future or just sleep. He just didn't want to talk about this now, especially when he was just coming back and remembering how great time with Lelouch was. But there was no other time for him to do this.

"I…I know what happens, which is why I'm leaving that day."

"I assume something goes horribly wrong."

"Lloyd!"

Suzaku winced at Cecile's shout, surprised when Lloyd just started laughing. "What else could it be, Cecile? By the way he's acting it's bad enough for him to want to leave instead of staying for a few days and he obviously knows about it in advance. So, what goes horribly wrong?"

Suzaku was very tempted to reply with everything, but shook his head. "I can't."

"Right, we won't be convincing otherwise. And this is important enough to make you want it to happen, despite whatever it is." Lloyd smiled as he leaned forward. "I can't think of anything else that would make you want to betray your beloved emperor."

"Lloyd, enough!" Cecile glared at the scientist. "Suzaku, whatever you need us to do, we'll help you."

Suzaku took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He couldn't tell the two of them that the assassination that Lelouch would describe wouldn't happen, but he could hint so they would be ready when the time came. In the mean time, there was no reason for his side of the plan not to go through. "I need to be ready to go by October twenty-ninth, whether or not Lelouch's plan is ready. I'll set up everything at my end to be ready to leave at night, that way the time machine isn't noticed."

"So you'll be needing sakuradite?"

"Just enough to get me back." Suzaku gave Lloyd a sheepish smile. "After this I'm locking this thing up or destroying it. I'll talk to the future you about it, but this is fair warning."

Lloyd pouted. "But this could be the thing that will finally beat Rakshata. And it's not like I'll ever use it."

"I don't want this to happen again."

"Fine, fine." Lloyd waved one hand at him. "We'll discuss it later."

Suzaku opened his mouth, ready to push the subject further, but he stopped. Lloyd would have eighteen years to think this over, that was time enough. Suzaku cleared his throat and looked away. "I'll have my stuff in here the night before and I'll come down later in the day. I'll just need to two of you to vouch that you have seen my body when the news comes that I've been killed."

Cecile was the only one of them to look distressed when he said that. Suzaku leaned back slightly as she reached for him, not sure what to make of the motion. He understood that it was a surprising thing to hear from him, but he wasn't sure if he wanted the comfort. He had agreed to the plan after all. And Lelouch was right, people didn't look for you when they thought you were dead.

It was easier this way, to act like he was killed when Lelouch was. It would explain his absence and stop him from trying to stop Lelouch from being killed. He couldn't risk that, no matter how much he wanted to.

Suzaku forced a smile onto his face, pushing away from the car. "Don't worry, you'll see me again. Now, I'm off to bed. Lelouch has had me on my feet all day."

"Oh, I doubt that."

"Lloyd!"

Suzaku winced at the sound of Lloyd getting hit, quickly slipping out of the room before the two of them really got into their argument. In any case, he had to get back to the building before Lelouch did, although Lelouch was probably trying to draw out dinner with his sister. Suzaku could just shut himself in the room that was officially his until he felt like coming out. It was the one place that Lelouch didn't disturb him, or at least gave him a bit of warning before barging in.

Lelouch couldn't find the letters he was about to write, they would give too much away and probably destroy the trust that he had managed to gain. They would talk openly about how Lelouch's plan would fail months before it actually did, and explain why he wasn't there when Lelouch died, no something that Suzaku ever wanted Lelouch to find out about. This would be his one failing as a knight, Suzaku wanted to be sure of that. And he wanted the few people that he was going to allow to know that he was still alive to understand why, because it hurt to choose between Lelouch and the world, but he couldn't allow himself to be selfish.

Suzaku barely glanced up from the ground the entire way to the building and during the ride up the elevator, too caught up in his spinning thoughts and the dim hope that he would be able to sleep the entire night tonight without waking up in a panic.

The soft ding of the elevator startled him, Suzaku blushing as he stepped out. He walked quickly to Lelouch's room, slipping inside before the door was completely open. A quick glance around the room showed that no one was there. Suzaku sighed in relief and walked into his room, staring at the small desk on the far side. To keep up the ruse that they were actually just living in close quarters instead of sleeping in the same bed, the room was kept looking like someone was using it, which included pens and papers on the desk.

Suzaku shivered as he slid into the seat, grabbing a pen and a sheet of paper and just staring at it. He would have to be quick and get as many as he could tonight. He would force himself to finish tomorrow and then hide the letters in his schoolbag. Distribution would have to wait until the day of Lelouch's death. Either way, he had to be quick and try not to give away as much as possible, except in one case

He took a deep breath, staring at the paper before leaning over the desk and beginning to write. 'Lloyd, I know you don't want to know about your future, but make an exception for this.' He paused after those words, staring at them before forcing himself onwards, quickly explaining the events of the night that brought him to the past. There were times when he had to stop and think over exactly what he was saying, trying to avoid saying too much. It would be his only effort in this time to prepare Lloyd for what would happen. Even if the scientist tore up the letter, Suzaku would feel better for it.

He finished the letter to Lloyd quickly, setting it aside before beginning on one for Cecile. He finished it quickly, sighing with relief as he pushed it to one side.

Now came the difficult one, the one that he had to write to Nunnally.

Suzaku glanced over at the door, sitting in silence to make sure that he didn't hear Lelouch coming. When he was sure that he was still alone, he turned back to the sheet of paper, taking a deep breath. 'Nunnally, I never meant to lie to you…'

The letter to Nunnally took the longest, Suzaku just having time to fold it up and stick it with the others when he heard the door to their rooms open. He stood up from his desk, dropping the pen back into the cup with the others. He strode across the room, flipping open his schoolbag and stuffing the letters inside just as Lelouch peeked into the room.

Suzaku stood up with a smile, watching as Lelouch relaxed. "Did you have a good time?"

Lelouch nodded, disappearing from Suzaku's line of sight as he walked over to his closet. "Yes. It was a shame that you weren't there."

"I had to explain what was going on to Cecile and Lloyd."

"And?"

"They're open to whatever you want from them. I'll let you explain the plan in detail."

"Good."

Suzaku walked into the room, stopping in surprise as he saw that Lelouch was waiting at the door of the bathroom. The emperor smirked and inclined his head towards the shower. "Care to join me?"

Suzaku nodded, giving his bag a guilty glance before following Lelouch into the bathroom.

* * *

 _March 30, 2018_

Kallen slipped her headband back into place, staring at the dust coating the cloth that she had just used to wipe her face. She sighed and tucked the cloth back into her pocket, starring out at the sandy flat that they were stopped on.

Usually she would be questioning the leader about why they had stopped, but she could see for herself why. Up ahead another troop was loading Knightmares into their trailers, a lengthy process. The Knightmares had to be settled securely before all of the wires were settled into place, and then there were the various feed lines.

Kallen knew that the Black Knights would probably be the fastest at loading their Knightmares into the trucks, simply because they had become used to doing it on their own and helping other pilots, not like the professional pilots and mechanics who worked strictly in their job domain. It was almost funny how unprofessional the Black Knights were in that way, but they were the only ones guaranteeing results.

That honor rested firmly on Cornelia and Tohdoh. The Britannian princess was annoying off the battlefield, but amazing on it. Between the two of them, all of their battles had been successful, if not victorious.

Kallen shifted on her perch halfway out of the cockpit. She was a bit further back in line than usual, but so were the rest of the squad. And she wasn't worried. The hardest battles had been fought and now they were on their way home.

News had filtered through that the Chinese Federation was nothing more than five eunuchs in a palace in reality. All of the other nations had pulled away and begun to rebuild. Even the Chinese army had deserted, taking the young daughter of the dying emperor with them. To Kallen's surprise, there was no talk of a political marriage or an attempt to rebuild the Chinese Federation. Everyone seemed to agree that it was done for, which meant that the Black Knights could turn their attention to Japan, where it really belonged.

Even in the months they had been fighting, Kallen had still been trying to work out why the emperor would give them this chance. She had half expected him to help the Chinese Federation, just to keep the smaller countries from joining with the Black Knights for their own defense. It would be just like the emperor to threaten to tear apart a whole country just to get them to realize how dangerous Britannia really was. But he hadn't come running to the rescue, he had just let the country fall apart.

Tohdoh and Cornelia seemed to think it was a legitimate strategy, to them it was just Lelouch destroying one of his strongest enemies, and the closest one at the moment. Kallen suspected that Tohdoh was equally as unnerved by the emperor's nonchalance about this whole affair. Cornelia was probably just happy for the other allies, not that Kallen could blame her either. She couldn't quite bring herself to trust Schneizel either.

Kallen looked up as the call came for their group to form up. She smiled and slipped into the cockpit of the Guren. Hopefully, their loading would go quickly and then they could head back to Japan. She had had enough of her little tour of the world and just wanted to get back home. There was a certain gratification to be found in freeing other people and watching them take their home back. She wanted to experience that for herself.

The screens flickered back to life, Kallen listening to the banter over the radio channels as the others in the squad talked about what they were going to do when they got home. Kallen smiled to herself, focusing on maneuvering the Guren into place and watching for the signal to load. Already she could see that some of the pilots were clambering up other machines, helping their fellow Black Knights store everything away properly before they left. They were probably just as eager as the rest to go home.

If she was honest with herself, she wasn't looking forward to it. She would just spend her days in Rakshata's company putting yet another upgrade on the Guren or listening to Ohgi and the other leaders try to figure out Lelouch's reason for doing this. Kallen doubted that any of them had the right answer for that, which is what scared her the most.

The Demon Emperor didn't make mistakes, he made traps.


	21. Chapter 21

** Chapter Twenty-One **

_April 10, 2018_

Lelouch forced himself to keep his hands by his side. He wouldn't make any last minute adjustments to Suzaku's outfit, even if the way that Suzaku insisted on keeping that belt slung over his hips was driving him crazy. Lelouch shook his head, turning around to face the mirror and deal with his own appearance. He hadn't worn his official robes as emperor for a while now, not since before Suzaku had been injured. After that, there hadn't really been much of a point. At least not until today.

Lelouch smiled as he put his hat on, nudging the green gem that dangled from one corner off to the side. Today he was going remind the people that the emperor was a real person, something that he should have done before now. But he had never had a suitable reason for it. Thankfully, the Chinese Federation had cooperated and finished collapsing on itself just days before, so it was the perfect time for an announcement.

He smirked, turning back to look at Suzaku, watching as his knight carefully straightened out the flaps of fabric on the front of the cape, smoothing them down. Suzaku glanced up at Lelouch, giving him a shaky smile. "It's a bit elaborate."

"Imposing."

"That too."

"It has to be. The trick is to distract them with your clothes so that they don't notice what you are doing until it is too late."

Suzaku nodded slowly, reaching back to resettle the hood on his back. He still looked uncomfortable with his new outfit, but Lelouch was sure that the discomfort would disappear. Besides, Suzaku couldn't be seen walking around wearing the Knight of Seven's official cape, not when the Knights of the Round had been disbanded. The white suit and black shirt were simple enough, but Lelouch wanted Suzaku to be noticeably different from Gino and Anya at first glance.

For a while he had toyed with the idea of removing the white suit altogether and just having Suzaku wear the cape he had on now with the black shirt of the knights with black pants. It was different enough, and a good contrast to his own white robes. But he wanted something to make sure that people knew that Suzaku was his.

Then he had remembered that Suzaku's flight suit was nonexistent at this point. It had been torn and stained from the incident with the Percival. Suzaku had been conducting the test runs in the Lancelot Albion in jeans and a t-shirt. So Lelouch had leapt on the chance that had been given to him. He had ordered a new flight suit made, one that would not only match his own attire but provide Suzaku with the support he needed for his ribs and collarbone.

The body of the suit was slightly padded, an extra measure in case Suzaku was bounced around the cockpit more than usual. His ribs were completely healed now, but Lelouch wasn't going to take his chances.

The double collar was another line of protection, the outer collar stiff and raised slightly away from his neck, with more padding there so there was at least another layer before anything would hit Suzaku's skin directly.

The only failure of the flight suit was that Lelouch had been unable to do anything about Suzaku's injured shoulder. Part of the reason for designing Suzaku's flight suit had been to make it as different as possible from the standard ones that were given out, something that was impressive and spoke clearly of Suzaku's skill without needing Suzaku to speak. Or that had been his intention when he had ignored the usual convention to have the shoulders of the suit padded out as well. Instead, he had chosen to go with fabric that was partially see through. It would brag that Suzaku didn't need the usual safety features of the flight suits because he was good enough to avoid getting it danger. It was subtle, but it would serve its purpose.

But it also exposed the scar on Suzaku's left shoulder, the puckered mark where the tip of the Percival's lance had gone through. Lelouch reached out to touch the scar, Suzaku pausing in his tiny adjustments of his outfit to let Lelouch touch. Lelouch smiled and continued brushing his fingers over the spot. With the way that the collar was built, it would have been impossible to have something over Suzaku's shoulders, not without taking away the stiffness that the first collar needed to have. Out of all of Suzaku's injuries, the one of his side and chest were deemed the worst.

Lelouch let his hand drop, surprised when Suzaku caught it. The knight kissed the back of Lelouch's hand, running the tips of two fingers down Lelouch's palm. Lelouch shivered and yanked his hand back. "Stop it."

Suzaku just grinned at him, reaching up to settle the cape back into place. "Well, we look silly."

"We match."

"And we look silly."

Lelouch shook his head, reaching over to give Suzaku a light shove, not protesting when Suzaku grabbed his hand again. They were both doing this because they were nervous, once this started there was no turning back. He wouldn't ask Suzaku he if wanted to pull out again, it would be an insult now, implying that Lelouch didn't trust him. And Lelouch did trust him, more than he should with what little information he had on Suzaku. But it was the knowledge that, once he started down this path, there wouldn't be any more chances to drag his time with Suzaku out longer. After this, it was the two of them rushing towards the end.

It wasn't the time to develop an attachment to Suzaku, not after Suzaku said that he would be leaving as soon as they were done here. It was embarrassing how much happier Suzaku's simple promise that he would come to visit Lelouch and Nunnally later made him. There were too many things that could go wrong between now and then, so it shouldn't even be his priority, but it always was. Despite all of his best efforts, he had managed to…

"Lelouch?" He jumped as Suzaku gently tipped his head up, the knight smiling at him before leaning forward for a kiss. "Ready?"

Lelouch stared at him before turning around, trying to control the blush that was rising to his cheeks. Now was not the time to be thinking about this. He was about to announce that he was going to, essentially, staring tearing apart the world and all he could think about was how much he didn't want Suzaku to leave.

He shook his head, glancing back at the mirror to be sure that he was ready, carefully pushing his hair back into place. Lelouch ignored Suzaku's badly muffled laugh, not bothering to glare at his knight. Instead, he just sighed, turning to face where the people had gathered to hear his announcement. In there would be reporters and former nobles who still didn't quite believe that their noble status was gone for good. It was the appropriate audience for what he was about to say, they would react the best. As for the reactions of the world, he would just have to wait and see what the internet and his spy network dug up.

"Let's go, Suzaku."

"Yes, your majesty."

Lelouch tried to fight back the smile that came with that, walking out into the open and watching out of the corner of his eye as the people in the room quickly bowed. He smirked at that, increasingly aware of Suzaku's presence just a few steps behind him, wishing he could turn around to watch Suzaku. Mentally, he noted that he would have to watch this broadcast later just for their performance and decide what to tweak.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Later, he would deal with all of that later. Right now, he had an empire to address.

Lelouch stopped just off center of the stage, ignoring the podium that had been set up for him. This way, the crowd had to turn slightly to face him. Lelouch gestured Suzaku closer with a twitch of his fingers, staring at the crowd.

"People of Britannia, you have probably heard the reports and read that the Chinese Federation has fallen and I have come to tell you that it is fact. One of our greatest enemies has fallen to pieces and I was the one to do it." There were gasps and mutters, Lelouch smirking. This was too easy. "In order to stamp out the rampant terrorist activities in Area 11, it was necessary to remove all of the terrorists would be allies. That was why the Chinese Federation had to be removed, along with all of the others that had sympathized with them."

There were mutters exchanged in the crowd, Lelouch watching with delight as they all came to the same conclusion. He was talking about Princess Euphemia. Here and now he was admitting that it had been an assassination instead of murder and that everything that he had told them before was a lie.

"The Chinese Federation was ruled by fat old men who cared only for what they could gain. By aiding the terrorists, they hoped to steal Area 11 away from Britannia. They have been plotting after what is rightfully ours for years. Only a foolish old man would let them live like that."

The muttering was back, Lelouch catching the name of his father bandied about. Charles zi Britannia had done his best to keep the Chinese Federation and the EU quiet if not their allies. Of course, Britannia had never had time for allies before, it was too busy taking what it wanted instead of going through the usual diplomatic routes.

"And, to quell any rumors that may have started, I have no intention of creating more Britannian held Areas from the former countries of the Chinese Federation. Why bother taking what we already have?" Technically that was a lie, but no one knew that. "This is the true strength of Britannia. We don't need an army to tear down a superpower, we can just use words and it will fall to its knees. This is the fate for those who oppose us. Fighting will get those terrorists nowhere. They were just a pleasant diversion for the time, but their novelty has worn out. So, this is my decree, the terrorist group known as the Black Knights will disband immediately and stop all communications with their allies in the EU or I will truly go to war against them. I have no intention of giving back this country to stupid old men."

Lelouch stepped to the side, gesturing Suzaku to come and stand beside him, glorying in the gasps from the crowd. They all recognized Suzaku from his knighting and when Princess Euphemia had been viceroy. They all knew him as the Eleven who had dared to work his way through the system. He was obviously nothing special and obviously a spy, but he was being rewarded for it.

"This is an example of what the Numbers should be, loyal to their empire and their emperor. Isn't that right, Suzaku?"

"Yes, my lord."

Lelouch smiled as he reached out to brush a finger along Suzaku's jaw line, their gazes meeting for a moment before Lelouch looked away. He couldn't get himself too lost in the act. It was all based on hints, little hints that he would give out to the crowd so they could gather evidence that they would never deny. Let them believe that he had killed his half sister. Let them believe that he had brought down the Chinese Federation because he was bored. Let them believe that he was promoting Suzaku because the Eleven had slept his way through the ranks. He would never confirm or deny any of it.

"Suzaku Kururugi is my personal knight, since I have learned that I can no longer trust my nobles. But I feel that they have been punished accordingly." Lelouch glanced out at the crowd, watching the former aristocracy there shift nervously. "A knighthood is a place that should be gained by skill and not by title, and a position should be gained the same way. Britannia no longer has any use for the people who use their family name alone. This is the new Britannia, not the slow and lumbering beast that was my father's Britannia. This Britannia will crush all of her foes and rise as the strongest nation in the world."

The cheers were slow in coming, Lelouch watching as the people really processed what he was saying as they began to clap. They probably didn't understand all he had said, but they would soon enough. They were cheering and clapping now because it was what you did when the emperor spoke to you. Soon enough they would be cursing his name.

While he was searching for the Black Knights, he would begin to start passing laws that would serve to further limit what little power the aristocracy had, placing that power firmly in the hands of the people. The foundation would be well settled by the time of his faked death and well before he had to face the Black Knights.

The resistance movement had fallen for his bait, they had gone after the Chinese Federation in the hopes of winning allies. They had managed to gain India's support, but Lelouch suspected that they had already had that in a smaller form. The other countries were too fragmented to actually help. Which just left the Black Knights with a fearful EU and exhausted soldiers, not something that he would have to watch out for. It would give him time to search for the Black Knight's headquarters. And, if that failed, he would just bring the battle to him. He would leave an opening for them to attack and wait for them to realize it was too late.

Lelouch turned to walk away, Suzaku right behind him. As he walked, he could hear the clapping slowly stop, replaced with mutters from the former aristocracy. Lelouch was tempted to stay behind and hear what they were saying, but he would find out soon enough, there were some of his loyal guards in the room who would report to him what was said. Suzaku was no longer someone that he could put into a room and trust to be ignored, but that was a risk that he had decided to take when he had put Suzaku into this position.

He slowed once they were out of sight of the crowd, turning so Suzaku could walk up beside him. "Well done."

"Thanks." Suzaku looked nervous and uncomfortable. "And that's it?"

"For now." Lelouch pulled his hat off to push his hair back into place before setting his hat on his head again. "We'll wait to see what their reaction is and decide how fast to move on that front. As for the Black Knights, we'll start searching them out now. Destroying them before they are ready to attack would be ideal, but they have managed to hide from us so far."

"And the EU?"

"It's pointless to try and destroy it, it's already fragmented."

"I meant about their allies." Lelouch raised an eyebrow as Suzaku blushed and looked to the side. "Cut their supply lines to their allies and they won't be able to move as fast. And, if the EU thinks that you'll come in then they'll withdraw support."

Lelouch chuckled, reaching out to touch Suzaku's cheek. "Very good, my knight. I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

"I'm nice to look at."

"There's the second one." Lelouch allowed his smirk to soften into a real smile, the change in expression seeming to encourage Suzaku to step towards him. "Thank you."

"I agreed to help you."

"And for that I thank you." Lelouch buried his hand in Suzaku's curls, letting them stand close together for a long moment before pulling away. "We still have things to do."

"Of course, your majesty."

"Not when we're alone." Lelouch surprised himself with his outburst. Suzaku was staring wide eyed at him, a look of complete surprise on his face. Lelouch cleared his throat, turning towards the mirror in the room so he wouldn't actually have to look at Suzaku. "When we're alone, use my name, Suzaku. I believe we're past all this your majesty," he waved his hand as he searched for the word, "nonsense."

Suzaku chuckled, giving a little bow at the waist before walking off, probably to continue running tests on the Lancelot Albion. According to the report from Cecile, there were a few more adjustments to make, mostly to keep Lloyd happy. Other than that, the Lancelot Albion was ready for battle whenever he wanted it. If his plans went the way he wanted them to, the Albion's maiden voyage wouldn't be as much as a battle as a capture. If at all possible, he wanted to take the terrorist's command center instead of having a long, drawn out battle.

Lelouch tipped his head to the side, watching as Suzaku walked away. He caught glimpses of the knight's black boots as the cape billowed out, congratulating himself on such a good design. He would have fun stripping the entire outfit off of Suzaku tonight.

* * *

Cornelia stared numbly at the screen, ignoring the shouts of outrage from the others around her. What Lelouch was saying didn't matter, it was what he wasn't saying that was more important.

What he was telling the Black Knights right now was that they had fallen for his trap. Instead of building up their forces as he had been doing, they had gone off to fight a war, a useless war that had only secured them what they already had. Cornelia clenched her hand into a fist, staring down at the table. While their losses had been low, nothing above what would usually make up a small Knightmare squadron, they had taken losses, where Lelouch had just resupplied his army. And their losses were always more devastating, because it meant the loss of a soldier and a weapon, both of which they had a small supply of.

She thought she had been annoying Lelouch or at least throwing him off by taking the bait. Some part of her must have thought that he would decided to go after them to attempt to save the Chinese Federation. After all, the two countries were allies, albeit uneasy ones. Instead Lelouch had taken the time that they had given him to rebuild and now he had come back to brag about it. He was bragging to the world how he could destroy countries easily, and that he had been playing with the terrorists for his own amusement before.

Cornelia's stomach sank as she realized that he was right. If he had managed to get the battle completely on his terms, then they would have been dead at Narita. They had just been lucky all of his time, lucky that they had put Lelouch into a position that had forced Euphy to bargain for his life. Lucky that they hadn't fallen apart completely when their former leaders had been gunned down. Lucky that he had let them escape without following them. And they had foolishly thought that it was just the war going their way.

She leaned back in her seat, no longer paying attention to the broadcast.

Did Schneizel know what was really going on? Was he humoring them just because they were the most willing group that he could find? He hadn't given any hint that he really know what was going on, but he and Lelouch were alike about that, they would hide their true intentions for as long as it suited them. Cornelia hoped that Schneizel had been as caught off guard as they were by this, that was the only hope for their pride. She wasn't up for his gentle scolding, although part of her wanted to blame him for not seeing this and warning them about it.

Wasn't he their ally? Wasn't he the one who knew Lelouch better than any of them? Wasn't he the only one who could really predict Lelouch's twisted strategies? If he really wanted to prove himself, the he would actually help instead of agreeing with all of her plans. Cornelia may have not spent as much time with him as Lelouch had, but she could tell when Schneizel was withholding something. Of course, what he wasn't telling her might not be important, it might be about what he was doing or who he had lost when Lelouch had tried to force Schneizel into agreeing with him, but at least she could tell.

Still, it was the one thing that bothered her, the fact that Schneizel continued to not tell her everything that she needed to know. He insisted on keeping his own projects a secret, but she needed to know about what weapon he was working on to incorporate it into battle. Even if it was as simple as point and shoot, she needed to know how destructive it was, what it was the most effective on and the ways that it could be stopped. They were planning a war here, not trying to outdo each other. It wasn't as if the winner would get much in the end, just the pleasure of having to face Lelouch alone. Hadn't Schneizel learned that their old ways of dealing with each other wouldn't work anymore?

She sighed and reached up to push her hair away from her face, aware that the motion was drawing everyone's attention to her. She was especially aware of Kallen's glare. Cornelia looked up from the table, meeting the pilot's gaze before nodding slowly. "Our grace period is over."

It was surprising how much that simple statement relaxed them, although that was probably because they were all thinking it. Cornelia shifted in her chair, making sure to meet Tohdoh's gaze. The bulk of the planning would be resting on them. There were a few others around this table that would be useful, but the rest were completely self-centered, they wanted the glory of being the one to bring down Britannia. She forced herself not to show her anger, they would realize just what they were getting into soon enough.

"We made a mistake." There was a bark of laughter from Kallen, Cornelia choosing to ignore it. "Obviously Lelouch was far ahead of us when we made our move. What we're lacking now is the confirmation from the countries that we've just helped that they can't return the favor, because they're too broken and Britannia is too big."

"The cowards."

Cornelia smiled at the quiet mutter from Kallen, secretly agreeing with the Eleven. If those countries truly wanted to be free of the Chinese Federation and Britannia, they would focus on getting rid of the problem instead of hiding it. She was sure that Lelouch could probably rebuild the Chinese Federation as easily as he had taken it down.

"Our focus needs to be on getting the remaining Knightmare Frames battle ready and finding pilots for them. Since Schneizel is not willing to speak about the weapon he promised us, we must plan the bulk of the battle like it didn't exist."

"We're still going to fight him? That's suicide."

"It's suicide if we don't." Cornelia stood up. "We've been lucky so far, because we've gotten to chose the battlefields. What happens when that doesn't happen? What happens when Lelouch gets the upper hand? Or can you even imagine it? We've lost all our other battles, but those has been when Lelouch wasn't on even footing with us."

The muttering around the table quieted down, Cornelia straightening up and glaring at all of them. "We can't expect him to bring the battle to us, that would be suicide. So, we plan the battle, looking for places that will give us the advantage." She was silent for a moment. "Someone should check up on those old subway tunnels."

"Lelouch already knows about them."

"I am aware of that."

"But he can't guard all of them." Tohdoh spoke up, giving Cornelia a nod. "We might not be strong enough for battles, but those are escape routes. Find the extent of them and you have our range."

Cornelia nodded slowly, tapping her fingers against the table. "Lelouch has been focusing on getting his Knightmares airborne, something that we haven't managed. But that won't be too much use in the forest or the city itself. If they did descend to fire on us in the streets, we could pick them off from all sides. In the forest, they wouldn't be able to touch us. Our choices are limited here, but not impossible."

"I say we attack the city." Cornelia looked at the man who had spoken.

"There are Japanese in Tokyo!" Ohgi was on his feet now, looking at the man in shock. "We can't attack and put all of those people in danger."

"Lelouch wouldn't let us do that."

Cornelia laughed, shaking her head. "After an announcement like that? I doubt it. He finally admitted that he ordered Euphemia's death." She was glad that her voice didn't crack over her sister's name. Cornelia ignored the tightness in her throat, forcing herself to press on. "I don't think he would care if we destroyed the whole city, he would just twist it to his advantage. But, even with that, we can't forget the advantage that we'd have there, even if there are people on our side there."

Ohgi stared at her before sitting down, rubbing his forehead. "We'll have to think about this."

"I agree completely." Cornelia forced herself to smile. "We can't rush into this."

"We'll have to warn them." Ohgi looked up at her, Cornelia not arguing. If Ohgi wanted to try and get people out of the way, he was welcome to. It might provide more recruits and it would also cut into Lelouch's support base. There was only so much that people would take before they struck out against a ruler.

"We have the time to. To rush into battle this minute would be foolish. But we have to be cautious, Lelouch will be looking for us now."

"What if he already knows where we are?"

Cornelia turned to look at the speaker. "He doesn't. I know this because he hasn't killed us all yet."

That made the group quiet down. Cornelia glanced over at Kallen before stepping away from the table. She was going to look over what little information that they had and the maps of the surrounding areas. Hopefully she could begin to structure a battle plan.

There was a chance that Schneizel would call today, just to be sure that they were taking steps to avoid being found, but Cornelia doubted it. He would probably call tomorrow or the day after, after seeing that Lelouch's claims wouldn't be affecting him yet. And that was why this alliance was barely working, Schneizel was too busy looking out for himself. There had to be some effort put into helping them or they would both just crumble when Lelouch turned his full attention to them. Hadn't Schneizel learned that from the deaths of their other siblings?

Cornelia sighed, walking down the corridor to the room where the maps were kept. She hoped that Tohdoh would join her later, it was always better to speak to a native about the terrain. She hadn't gotten the chance to get as familiar with Area 11 as she had had on her other campaigns. For this one, she had spent most of her time in hiding, hoping that Lelouch would remain sufficiently distracted.

That was their only hope now, that Lelouch would continue to be distracted from what they were doing. He could turn his full attention to them now that the Chinese Federation had been taken care of, which was a bad thing for them. Their hiding spot, while comfy enough, was also too close to the Tokyo Settlement for comfort.

She opened the door to the room, staring at all of the maps with a sigh. They would know where to find her if Schneizel called. For now, figuring out all the places they could lure Lelouch into battle was more important than what Schneizel could offer them.

* * *

Schneizel stared at the blank screen with a smirk on his face, leaning his hand against his cheek. So this was Lelouch's opening move? Typical. The king was leading. All he had to do was find a way to counter it, although the knight was an interesting touch. After the rebellion by the Rounds, Schneizel would have thought that Lelouch wouldn't have bothered to put someone into that place, especially after the rumors that the Knights of the Round had managed to badly injure his favorite.

It was petty of him to be disappointed by the fact that Lelouch's favorite was still very much alive, and completely unharmed from what he could see. Maybe the rumors had been created by Lelouch to give him some breathing room after the Rounds rebelled. Although, Schneizel didn't think that Lelouch would have kept himself from government work for this long if that were true.

But it was still annoying to watch Lelouch flaunting what he had, as if to make Schneizel more aware of what he didn't.

Schneizel stood up from his chair, walking calmly from his room. It couldn't matter to him, because it wouldn't last. There were times when he had considered trying to save his half brother or turn his knight to their side, but those plans wouldn't work. With what he had seen today, Lelouch had a knight that was completely loyal to him and was completely unrepentant about what he had done. Schneizel would have liked to be able to just lock Lelouch away somewhere, but the people wouldn't have let that happen in the end. It was easier to just end their misery now.

And if he decided to take out the knight while Lelouch was watching, it was because the man was the more dangerous one out of the two. It wasn't revenge for what Lelouch had done to him.

It would be in their best interests to start moving what they could to Area 11, while the former Chinese Federation was still in a state of chaos. It would be hard to determine whether the troops and Knightmares were being sent to another part of the former superpower or to Area 11, at least for the Britannians. The Damocles would be the last thing to go, but the structure was almost completely ready. It wouldn't hurt to hurry along production, now that they were sure that the most difficult parts had been managed.

He would have to send Clara Einstein and her daughter ahead, she was the only one that knew enough about the F.L.E.I.J.A. to instruct people on the handling of it. They would have their usual team, but there were soldiers to be educated about it and the commanders to talk to. He knew that Cornelia would want to know everything she could about the weapon before it was used. Schneizel made a mental note to tell his team to remind her that they wanted to be on the good side of the people. If they fired the F.L.E.I.J.A. in a populated area, it would make them seem as bad as Lelouch.

Schneizel sighed. He knew Cornelia would not immediately jump to that conclusion, but his half sister was still hurting from the death of her men and Euphy's murder, especially now that Lelouch had admitted that he had ordered it. Schneizel wasn't sure if he believed Lelouch, he remembered how close Euphy had been to Lelouch and Nunnally before their exile. But then that was the problem, he couldn't depend on what Lelouch was before his exile in Japan. Living there among people who had hated him and surviving month long war that Britannia had fought with the country had changed him completely.

He did know one thing, there would be no more talk of trying to get Nunnally. It would be better if they focused all of their attention on Lelouch. Nunnally could always be saved later and a few inconvenient falsehoods told to her. There was really no difference in telling her that Lelouch had died of his wounds in battle before they could get him back to her and telling her that they had killed him on the battlefield. Both explanations would upset her, and both explanations were equally as true.

But it had come to the point where Lelouch could no longer be left alive, which was distressing enough. Schneizel had hoped that he would be able to keep the rest of his siblings alive, just to be able to have them around. It was distressing to suddenly lose something that one had a lot of so quickly.

There were other plans to be made to, like if they failed.

Cornelia wouldn't think of it, and neither would the Black Knights. They were all either confident in their skills or forcing themselves not to think of that situation; which meant that it was another job that was left to him.

Schneizel closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the beginnings of a headache stirring. He couldn't blame them for this, it was important to remain positive when having to face Lelouch, but it was annoying that he was the one actually thinking ahead. He rubbed his forehead, relieved when the stirrings of the headache went away.

They would have to rely on assassins then, and probably some drawn from the ranks of the Black Knights. They wouldn't need to be professional, just efficient and quick. It would be their last resort if failure did happen. The group would be given orders for a specific time to attack and to be ready at all times. The lives of the leaders didn't matter in this case, in fact it would help if the leaders of the resistance died before the assassins struck, but Schneizel wasn't going to force the others to see it his way. The others probably valued their lives more than he did.

The assassin plan could be saved until later to be fully worked out. Now he had to figure out just how much support he could promise his half sister and organize for their movement to Area 11. Clara and Nina would be sent over first with their scientists and a small escort, he knew that for certain. But he would have to wait for the others until Cornelia told him when they expected to attack. Still, the sooner the better, just in case Lelouch outmaneuvered them, which is what Schneizel suspected his little brother was doing now.

If that was truly the case, then he should try to contact Cornelia now instead of waiting for later. But, knowing his half sister, she was probably already trying to come up with a plan using what forces she had. Schneizel smiled at that. Cornelia's confidence was a wonderful to have, especially with her being so determined. He supposed that was the right way to react to losing someone close, wanting revenge instead of just putting them aside and forgetting about them. Still, to each their own.

He would give Cornelia time to come up with her battle plans, time to calm down from the information that had been given to her by Lelouch. That way he could guarantee a civil conversation between the two of them, even if the Elevens who ran the Black Knights insisted on worrying over things they could not change and information that they already knew. In that time, he would tell Clara about her new assignment and tell her to get ready.

Schneizel paused outside of the lab, tipping his head to the side as he thought something over. He would tell Cornelia to attempt to get Lelouch's new knight, but only if she was sure they could without giving up what advantages they had. But it was a novel idea, to make Lelouch watch them destroy his favorite. He and Cornelia would have to come to an agreement about how to do it, if the knight should be shot and left to bleed out or if he should be ripped apart like Euphy had been. While shooting would be the most efficient method, Schneizel had to concede that ripping the knight apart would be more fun to watch, and it would be ironic, using the murder's own method against himself.

He chuckled and stepped into the lab, banishing that thought. He would discuss it with Cornelia once they had a sound strategy.

* * *

 _May 27, 2011_

Suzaku stretched as he stood on the scaffolding, turning slightly to stare into the Lancelot Albion. Somehow, Lloyd had designed to give the pilot less room than the original. Suzaku shook his head and lowered his arms, it was probably for the best though, less of a target to hit. He rolled his left shoulder, his muscles protesting the move. Other than his shoulder, which bugged him randomly when it stiffened up, he was back in fighting condition.

Or so said everyone. And even that didn't stop Lelouch from giving him those worried glances when Lloyd kept him late or those moments of panic when he had rolled farther away than usual in his sleep.

It was strange how the world could see the confident emperor when he could only see the teenager who was afraid of losing the people who were closest to them.

Suzaku walked down to where Cecile was sitting, the woman comparing the data from the simulation that they had just run to the data from the actual test of the float system that they had carried out two days ago. From the smile on her face, Suzaku guessed that the results were good or at least tolerable enough to show to Lloyd. He had been called out twice now only to be sent back in because something had interfered or the computer had crashed.

He settled down in the seat beside her, Cecile glancing at him before returning to her work. Suzaku took the moment to shut his eyes, reaching for the cloak that he had draped over the chair before he had gone into the Lancelot. It was a lot colder out here than it was in the Lancelot, and he was only wearing his flight suit. Suzaku stood up briefly to wrap the cloak around him before flopping back down in the seat, closing his eyes again.

He was sleeping better now. The nightmares had stopped occurring every night, probably because he was no longer panicking over the situation. They were too far into Lelouch's plan to turn back now and he had resigned himself to what was going to happen. His fear of losing Lelouch was warring with his sudden bouts of homesickness. Now that he was close to the end of his time here, Suzaku was looking forward to his normal life. Going to school was much easier than facing the Black Knights on the battlefield and he missed his friends on the student council.

But he was going to miss Lelouch. Suzaku's stomach rolled at that thought, Suzaku gripping the edges of his cloak tightly. Lelouch was the only person that he had met so far that he had been remotely interested in. It was silly of him to think that Lelouch was the end of all romantic things in his life, but it was hard to think of someone other than Lelouch. He had gotten used to Lelouch, all of Lelouch's insecurities and quirks.

Suzaku opened his eyes and stared at the blank computer screen in front of him. He didn't really remember what it felt like to sleep alone in a bed anymore, he had gotten used to holding Lelouch until they both fell asleep and then waking up to Lelouch pressed up against him. There were more little adjustments that he would have to make when he got back to his time, and there would be no one to talk to about it; Lloyd wouldn't understand and Cecile would be sympathetic, but truly understanding.

He sighed, looking up abruptly as Cecile stopped typing. She looked over at him, Suzaku smiling to try and stop her from worrying. His smile faltered as Cecile turned completely towards him. "Suzaku, are you homesick?"

Suzaku was relieved that she hadn't figured him out, chuckling as he looked up at her. "Just a bit." He adjusted the cloak over his shoulders. "It's weird because you and Lloyd are here and I still miss the two of you."

"Lloyd changed?"

"Not by much. I'm more of his second assistant at home than his test subject." Suzaku raised one shoulder in s shrug. "It's just that all of the right people are here, but not all of, well...them."

Cecile picked at the sleeve of her jacket. "Are you going to miss anyone here?"

"Of course. I'll miss Gino, Anya, Nunnally and Le-" Suzaku's voice cracked over the name. He blushed and looked away. "Lelouch."

He could see Cecile smirking out of the corner of his eye. Suzaku ducked his head further, clearing his throat. "Yeah, definitely going to miss Lelouch."

"I thought you might." Cecile turned back to her computer. "But I'm sure I won't stop you from finding him when you get back."

"I can't." The words were out before Suzaku had even thought about them. He glanced up at Cecile, fumbling for an excuse. "I'm still in school. We don't have a break for a while. Even then, he's going to be eighteen years older than I am. I doubt that you would like me dating a thirty-seven year old man."

"I don't know. If it made you happy."

"Thanks Miss. Cecile." He smiled, standing up. It wasn't too late in the day, but he still wanted to go and find Lelouch. The emperor might have something planned for the two of them. If there wasn't, then Suzaku would enjoy time spent in his presence. There was nothing else to do.

He turned around, stopping when he saw Gino beaming up at him. Suzaku chuckled and leaned on the railing. "Trying to sneak up on me Gino?"

"Of course not." The blond knight laughed. "I was waiting to see if you could actually move in all of that. It looks heavy."

"It's actually very comfortable."

"You would say that." Gino crossed his arms over his chest, the smile still on his face. "Well Mr. Personal Knight of the Emperor, do you have time to speak to your old friend?"

Suzaku glanced at Cecile, the woman giving him a gently shooing gesture. He suspected that Lloyd would want him to stick around, probably to help with simulations for new parts that the scientist wanted to add or to stand by while Lloyd poked and prodded at the time machine. Knowing Lloyd, the scientist would keep him long past dinner, an experience he didn't want to repeat. Leaving now would be his best option.

"I do. Although I think that the emperor will want me at dinner."

"Good, because that's when I'm on duty." Gino winced and lowered his voice. "Anya has been having her incidents again."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Nunnally has given her some time off starting tonight." Gino wrapped his arm around Suzaku's shoulders as he came down from the computer platform. "I think it's the stress. She gets into a stressful position, goes to bed and wakes up not remembering a whole day. I would freak out if I were her, and probably more often, but she handles it well."

"Why don't you ask her to be moved somewhere else?"

"Because she's still a noble. Her family isn't as wealthy or wasn't as important as mine, but they are…were a noble family. There would be no end of complaining if they found that their daughter was shipped off."

Suzaku rolled his eyes, focusing on the walk back to the administrative building. He wasn't going to be going out onto the street in these clothes and Gino was also in his knight uniform. They were probably just going to go to the break room and play pool, it was what they were doing more often these days, especially since Suzaku couldn't go out in public without being shouted at. The Japanese hated him now almost as much as the Britannians, he was a traitor to them.

He stared at the ground for most of the journey to the building, listening to Gino chattering on about what was going on that he was missing out on. He smiled to himself once as Gino started to rate some of the women guards, shaking his head at the blond's antics. Gino was just trying to distract him right now, at least until they were somewhere where no one would bother them.

Suzaku led the way into the building and down the halls, Gino stepping back behind him. He would only allow Gino to touch him when they were alone or with people who knew the plan, which was harder that it looked. Gino was always hanging off of him.

They slipped into the empty room, Gino immediately heading for one of the chairs and flopping down in it. Suzaku leaned against the pool table enjoying the chance to stand for a while after being cramped in the Lancelot's cockpit.

He glanced over at Gino as the knight moved from where he was splayed out over the chair, finally sitting up. "How's the new Knightmare treating you?"

Suzaku just smiled, Gino laughing at that. "Should have known. Lloyd is good with those things, far better than the mechanics we have back at Pendragon, even if he is a bit eccentric."

"You get used to him."

"It's amazing the people you get used to." Suzaku tensed at the grin that Gino was giving him. It usually meant that Gino was up to no good.

Suzaku tried to remember anything that would make Gino give him that look, his stomach twisting as the blond stood up from his chair.

"Our emperor for example." Suzaku slumped, refusing to meet Gino's eyes. That did nothing but encourage Gino. "So it isn't just a thing!"

"Just a thing?"

"A one time thing." Suzaku blushed, quickly reaching back and pulling up the hood of his cloak to hide it. He heard Gino laugh again, rolling his shoulders forward to try and make himself smaller. "Oh man, you mean it's serious."

"Possibly." Suzaku sighed and reluctantly pushed the hood back, still not looking at Gino. "Look it's complicated and I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine." Gino waved a hand. "I just want to know if it's a perk of the job or something else, because I'm pretty sure there are some beautiful princesses in the EU who would love to have a knight in their-Ow."

Suzaku grinned at Gino, pulling his hand back after the ineffectual punch. "Watch yourself, Gino. You don't want to be accused of treason, do you?"

Gino grumbled and crossed his hands over his chest, obviously fighting a smile. Suzaku shook his head and leaned back on the table. "This is all you're getting. It's not a perk, it's something we agreed on. And none of this is allowed to leave this room."

"Of course. Like I'd tell the world you were with the emperor. That would be like signing you death warrant now. But I might be too late on that one." Suzaku turned to face Gino, confused by the way his friend was suddenly sober. Gino sighed, reaching out to pat Suzaku's shoulder. "Be careful, they already hate you for being with him."

"I know that."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they-"

"I know Gino. I knew it from the moment I agreed. Lelouch asked me before if I was willing to do this and I am." Suzaku ducked his head. "I have nothing to lose."

Gino snorted but said nothing, Suzaku glad that his friend didn't remind him of everything that he had here. He was already hyper aware of the people he had met here that he would have to leave, Lelouch was just the foremost in his mind. There was Gino, Nunnally, Anya, and even Jeremiah, as much as the man hated that he was an Eleven. And he would miss these versions of Lloyd and Cecile, where Lloyd was just a little more carefree and Cecile didn't seem so exhausted.

But he was already in too deep. He could have stopped Lelouch before, but he had waited too long, he had realized his mistake too late. Lelouch couldn't keep the throne now, which meant that Suzaku couldn't stay. Even if he could have stayed he wasn't sure, because then there were his friends back at Ashford.

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, jumping when Gino placed a hand on his shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Suzaku gave a nervous laugh. "Just stress. Lots of it."

"Don't forget to take breaks. Working yourself to death won't solve anything."

Suzaku chuckled. "Tell that to Lloyd."

"Nah. It wouldn't get through." Gino sighed and leaned back against the table. "Well, you're lucky, you can always ask Lelouch to help you de-stress."

Suzaku blushed again, grumbling under his breath and turning his back on Gino. He heard the blond laugh. "This is just too easy, Suzaku."

"You…" Suzaku shook his head, trying to hide his smile. "I have duties to attend to, Sir Weinberg."

"Yeah, I probably do too." Gino sighed and leaned over to push the eight ball with his finger. "It's sad that we didn't get in our game of pool. I was feeling lucky today."

"Not lucky enough."

"You're only leading by one game."

"Tonight it would have been two." Suzaku laughed as Gino faked a pout, the blond recovering a moment later to bound over to Suzaku and sling an arm over his shoulders.

"Try not to get yourself into trouble, I'm not in any position to pull you out."

"Right. Same goes for you."

"Don't I know it. You probably have the power to send me somewhere obscure." Gino rolled his eyes and walked out of the room, Suzaku lingering for a moment more.

He missed having the time to go out with Gino and Anya. Seeing the city where he had grown up had been calming to him during those early months where he didn't know what he was really doing. It had been a reminder that, while everything else was strange, he was still home. Now all he could see were the closest buildings and, if he was standing on the roof, the tops of them. It wasn't the same as walking out into the city, but at least he was still here. Suzaku didn't know what he would have done if he had been forced to go somewhere else for this entire time.

Suzaku sighed and straightened out his cloak, carefully making sure that his face was blank. He couldn't be seen as tired or excited, it would give too much away. Lelouch was counting on him, and he would not fail this. He swallowed and stepped out into the hall, hoping that he wouldn't meet anyone, he wasn't in the mood today, not with the reminders of what was coming.

* * *

 _June 12, 2018_

Kallen leaned on the chair in front of her as the screen flickered to black. She glanced around at the other pilots that had been invited to the meeting, just to make a show of force. They had all been asked to stand in the back of the room while their leaders went through and called the strongest countries from the former Chinese Federation in the hopes of getting more allies.

But the answers had all been the same, they were too weak to help them. They could lend technical support, but nothing more. They were all too busy trying to rebuild and watching China warily.

Kallen gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to punch something. They had fallen for Lelouch's trap. He had wanted them to try for more allies, but he had given them such a small time frame to work in that none of their allies would be ready to help them in time. They were still relying on Schneizel, who hadn't even called to contact them as a whole. Cornelia and Tohdoh had talked to the Britannian price.

She looked up at the sigh from Ohgi, straightening up to rest a hand on his shoulder. Ohgi glanced at her and nodded, silently thanking her for the support. Kallen would have smiled, but she couldn't quite manage the expression at the moment, not when they were going to have to face the Britannian army on their own. Even with the small amount of casualties from their efforts in the Chinese Federation, it was not enough.

Cornelia turned around to look at them, Kallen waiting for her to dismiss the pilots. They were usually filled in on the battle plans in the few days before battle, just so it was fresh in their head and there was less time to leak the information. She was surprised when Cornelia starting speaking like they weren't there.

"I fear that we're on our own."

"But Schneizel-"

"Has promised support." Cornelia glared at the man. "But hasn't specified how much. When he spoke to Tohdoh and I, he said that he would be sending over his weapon and the woman who invented it. So he's keeping that part of his promise."

Cornelia was frowning, Kallen staring at her. There had to be a reason for her to look like that, and that reason probably wouldn't be shared. Kallen shook her head, pushing her headband back into place as it slipped. "There's something else."

Cornelia glanced up at her in surprise, Kallen watching as the princess' hands clenched into fists. "He promised a fortress later in the month. But we need the fortress to fire the weapon."

Ohgi tensed beside her. "So he's making sure that we can't turn on him or move before he's ready."

Cornelia nodded slowly. "He's got us trapped, but that's only if we use his weapon. Tohdoh and I have worked out a strategy that would have us victorious if not the victor of the battle."

Kallen held back her laughter. She didn't get how you could not win a battle and consider it victorious. Even at Narita, she had felt that they had lost, even when it had been the JLF who had managed to force Britannia into surrender.

Tohdoh was leaning forward now, tapping at the table with a finger. "If Schneizel does not help us as promised then we won't engage Lelouch's troops. We'll use the abandoned subway tunnels to destroy as many of his troops as we can before pulling out. We'll regroup afterward and decide what to do from there."

There were shouts of surprise from the pilots, Kallen watching them. She was the only one out of the group who had actually gone to the Chinese Federation, the rest had been in training or had volunteered. It looked like the leaders had just chosen the pilots at random or by who was closest, so none of the more experienced pilots had made it in. She narrowed her eyes and looked around the table. What had made them do that? Were some of their leaders trying to push for them to make a decisive victory even with their disadvantage?

She gave the younger pilots a glare, shaking her head. They were too inexperienced to realize what they were calling for. With their size and their equipment, raids were better than full out attacks. The JLF had been the only group able to pull off those kind of attacks, but they had been effectively wiped out at Narita and then at their first attempt to retake Tokyo.

Kallen looked up to meet Tohdoh's gaze, giving him a nod. She would agree with him, he knew more about what he was doing than she did at the moment. She would save her arguments for the battlefield, for the times when she saw an opening that he couldn't. There at least she would be justified.

She leaned over again, lounging against the back of the chair as she waited for the pilots to be quiet, closing her eyes. She didn't really like Tohdoh's plan either, more for the fact that it would be long and drawn out. Kallen wasn't ready to give up the idea of freedom yet, nor was she tired of fighting. She was just tired of losing people that she had gotten close to. It hadn't gotten better over the years, it had possibly gotten worse as the list got longer. But it wasn't long enough to make her want to stop fighting for their freedom. In a way, she just wanted to win for once.

Kallen opened her eyes as the pilots finally fell silent, surprised to see that Ohgi had stood up. "I think it's a good plan, considering our resources. There's no way we can attack Tokyo head on without losing too many people. And then how are we going to hold it."

"Take the emperor himself!"

Kallen straightened up again. "The emperor isn't very well liked now. I doubt that Britannia would want to ransom him back. And then what? Lelouch still has enough power to command the loyalty of those close to him. Do you want to face his knight?"

"Yeah, and prove that I can beat him. The rest of you aren't trying hard enough. He's a traitor to Japan and-"

"Enough Tamaki." Ohgi glared at the man, flopping back down into his chair. "We're not going to risk what we have for the sake of proving something. This isn't the time for that. I agree with Kallen, it's a good plan and the only one that won't get all of us killed."

Tamaki huffed but didn't say anything else, much to Kallen's relief. Secretly, she agreed with him. It would be easier just to snatch back what was there, and it would get rid of the depression that had fallen over all of them after all of their failures. She hated the side of her that was telling her to be reasonable, to not waste this chance to accomplish Naoto's dream on some foolish showing off.

Although Tamaki did have a good idea. If they just took someone close to the emperor, not the emperor himself, they would force Lelouch to do what they wanted. They had tried for Nunnally once, but she was too far away from the battlefield and their move had been too obvious. But what about his knight?

From the broadcasts that Lelouch did and the reports from their spies, he and Kururugi were close, suspiciously close. There was no concrete evidence to show that they were anything more than emperor and knight, but there was evidence that Lelouch's absence had been because of Kururugi's injuries. If his knight was taken or badly injured, would Lelouch call off the battle? Kururugi was easier to catch than Nunnally, they just had to surround him, eventually his Knightmare would run out of energy or he would make a mistake.

After that it was up to their leaders. She was sure that they could threaten Lelouch into a position where he would give up Japan. With the Chinese Federation gone, they didn't have to worry about another superpower breathing down their necks, and Britannia would be taken care of as long as they kept Kururugi alive.

It was a good plan, but not a great one. Still, it guaranteed some sort of accomplishment, which was what the soldiers wanted anyway.

Kallen tuned out the rest of the arguments at the table, just watching their leaders. They would all agree with Tohdoh and Cornelia's plan in the end, because it was the only plan that made sense. There would be a few who came up with showy plans of their own, but would meet with resistance when they tried to sell them to the soldiers. Cornelia and Tohdoh had the soldiers firmly in the palms of their hands, which meant the raid plan would go through anyway.

She stood up as the group began to file out of the room, quickly edging her way through the initial rush out the door to find Ohgi. He was easy enough to spot, and Kallen reached out to grab his sleeve. Ohgi didn't turn to look at her, but the slight tip of his head told her enough. She let go and allowed herself to drift towards one of the deserted halls. Ohgi wouldn't talk with her in front of the others, just in case some of the pilots got crazy ideas.

She didn't have to wait for long, Ohgi slipping into the hallway and leaning back against the wall. Kallen watched as he smothered a yawn before rubbing his eyes. "Tired?"

"A couple of late nights. Nothing to worry about."

"I think we're all having those." Kallen crossed her arms, shaking her head. "But you're going to get trouble from that group."

"I've noticed. It's all for their glory and the glory of Japan. Sounds like us when we just started out."

Kallen sighed. "That's still us."

"Yes, but we're more careful about it." Ohgi tipped his head back so he was staring at the ceiling. "I think Tohdoh will be able to keep them in line. And most of them have never actually fought against Britannia before. I'm betting that they'll be frightened when the time comes."

"Speaking of that, I'm thinking about our plan."

"Kallen…"

"No, I'm not going to tell you to change it. Just ask Cornelia and Tohdoh if they would consider getting Lelouch's knight." Ohgi froze, staring at her with wide eyes. Kallen cleared her throat. "We've heard rumors from the capital and we have proof that Kururugi was injured while the emperor did nothing. Obviously, there's something there. Nunnally is too well protected to capture, we've tried it before. What I'm saying is that we appear to go after Nunnally, and then Kururugi will come for us. As long as we outnumber him we can take him, and the emperor will do anything to get him back alive. He'll even give us Japan."

"And then what, we'll be stuck with him."

"Not if Lelouch continues to piss off his people. Once they kill him, we'll just kill Kururugi. He is a traitor."

"Or someone just trying to survive."

"Ohgi, he's giving the Japanese people hope about something that they can't accomplish. Lelouch will never let them climb the ranks like he did. The only reason Kururugi got there was because he slept his way there."

Ohgi shifted. "We don't know that for sure."

"Well, I do. First, Euphemia and then, somehow, Lelouch. It's perfectly clear from the way they are around each other."

"You might be reading too far into it Kallen."

"I know what I see."

Ohgi raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. But you'll have to be the one to bring it up to them. Tohdoh respects you for your skills and Cornelia thinks highly of you…or as highly as she can. If you were the one to bring this information to them, they would consider it more seriously than if it came from me. I'm just here to handle the staff, not the pilots."

"Fine."

"Remember that they'll only consider it as a last attempt."

Kallen paused, her hand on the wall. "I know that. And I mean it as that. It would be more effort than it's really worth, but it would be something. And we need a victory, a clear victory or we might start having deserters."

Ohgi looked shocked at the news, but nodded. Kallen relaxed at that, at least he understood their worries. If people started deserting, then they wouldn't be able to attack Tokyo, and they would be at Schneizel's mercy, something that she very much doubted anyone wanted. But when the choice was between someone who could bring them a victory and another retreat, Kallen knew that they were going to chose Schneizel. She had heard the whispered conversations herself.

She nodded at Ohgi and walked back into the main hall, glancing around before heading to the room where the maps were kept. She would start there and search through the building for Tohdoh. As much as Cornelia valued her, Kallen was sure that the Britannian princess only thought she was useful on the battlefield.

Kallen gritted her teeth. That was another thing they would have to decide on, what to do about Cornelia after they had won. She was sure that Tohdoh and Ohgi knew that they weren't just going to be left alone, the sakuradite that Japan had was too important for Britannia to just give up. Cornelia was already there with them, they could always just hold her hostage. But Kallen doubted that Schneizel would attempt to rescue her, he hadn't helped his other siblings when they were in danger.

She clenched her hands into fists, staring at the floor. Stupid Britannian royals. They were so focused on claiming that damn throne that they forgot about their family. They didn't seem to care when they lost one and it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that they didn't bother to notice the loss of one sibling when Kallen was still struggling with the loss of her brother. How come they didn't get to notice?

She looked up abruptly at the sound of voices, stepping to the side of the hall to let the group by. Kallen waited until they were gone before reaching up to wipe her tears away. She could think about Naoto later. Right now her job was to find Tohdoh and finish the fight that her brother had started.


	22. Chapter 22

** Chapter Twenty-Two **

_June 30, 2018_

Cornelia toyed with the end of her glove, watching as the helicopter slowly descended into the clearing. The machine landed on the grass, the blades still spinning as the people hopped out, hunched over as they ran out from under the helicopter. She could see the other leaders stepping out to greet the people, but she stayed behind.

It shouldn't have been so easy, they hadn't even needed to have a distraction ready for Lelouch. He had just let the helicopter fly in, and it should have shown up on his radar. She had heard the communications between their ground crew and the helicopter, and it had been reports of clear skies the entire way over, and that's what scared her.

Lelouch had to know where the helicopter was. And, even if they did agree to meet away from their base, they weren't as far away as Cornelia would have liked. All Lelouch had to do was search out from where the helicopter landed and he would find them. Cornelia bit her lip. They would be struck completely unaware if that happened.

She jumped as they started to unload the helicopter, her hand dropping away from her glove. It was only because Lelouch was so quiet that she was on edge, and that nearly made her want to laugh. She had been fleeing from him for four years and she was more comfortable facing him in battle than living with his silence.

Cornelia shook her head, pushing the thoughts from her mind. She would remind the others to put up guards for the night, but that would be all. She was only panicking because it was nearly time to launch the campaign and she was missing her Glaston Knights. She missed having people to count on and who knew her orders well enough to begin to think ahead of her, just by a bit. She missed the security that came with them, because she knew that staying with the Black Knights after they had defeated Lelouch would just end badly for her.

She could focus on that later when she wasn't busy welcoming the scientists that had come from Schneizel. It was her job to speak with them and then use the weapon they had developed in their plans. Tohdoh had begged off of duty, turning his attention to the training of the new recruits, something that needed to be done badly. Cornelia was a bit annoyed with him for that, just because it felt like this whole affair was being dumped on her to, but she appreciated the fact that Tohdoh was going to see the training himself instead of pushing it off onto someone else.

Shouting made her look up, Cornelia's eyes widening as she saw the woman hurrying across the clearing, clinging to her child. Schneizel had said nothing about a child. He had just said he was sending his head scientist and her team over. She gritted her teeth, cursing her brother. Why would he send a child into a war zone instead of keeping it back with him? Unless the mother was no longer useful to him, so he no longer wanted to protect her. But that didn't sound like her brother at all, he cared for his subordinates in his own way, more so when they were actually useful. So maybe it was just a show of his confidence. But how could he be so confident now?

She watched the woman shout orders to the people who were carrying boxes, making sure that they were loaded onto the waiting trucks. Cornelia had to smile at the fact that she was taking care of her work before going to greet the people waiting for her.

The woman shifted her child in her arms when she was done, balancing the girl on her hip as she walked over to where the leaders were. She held out a hand for some of them to shake, skipping over Cornelia and giving a small nod of her head, the best she could do with a child. "Hello. Sorry we're late. We had some trouble loading everything in the Chines-China."

"It's fine. You had no trouble on the way over?"

The woman shook her head. "Clear flying all the way in." Cornelia was glad to see that the woman looked as surprised by the fact as the rest of them. She recovered a moment later, getting a better grip on her daughter. "I'm Dr. Clara Einstein. I'm afraid the rest of the introductions will have to wait until later. I want to put Nina down for a nap. She hasn't slept well while we traveled."

There were murmurs of assent from the group, Cornelia quickly falling into step by Clara and getting into the same truck as her. The scientist seemed shocked by the move, but she gave a graceful half bow. "Your highness."

"I hope you'll find everything to your liking here." Cornelia settled down into her seat, watching as the driver started the engine. "We have another scientist here, one from India. She specializes in Knightmares, but if you need any help…"

"Thank you for the offer." Clara gave her a strained smile. "I think I'll do fine with my group. It's only last minute assembly that we have to worry about. Other than that, I'm here to assist in the transport and tactical use of my F.L.E.I.J.A."

"F.L.E.I.J.A?"

Clara opened her mouth, shaking her head with a laugh a moment later. "That's the short version of its name. Don't worry about what it stands for. It's just a very complicated way to say very expensive bomb."

"It's a bomb?" Schneizel had never specified, she had just thought it was a new Knightmare Frame or a new type of gun. Cornelia wanted to groan and roll her eyes. What use did they have for a bomb? Their advantage lay in attacking the city, where most of their supporters were. Even if the Black Knights bit have a chance to use it, the order would never go through.

"I see that Schneizel hasn't filled you in yet, but he did say that was my job." Clara cleared her throat, obviously mistaking Cornelia's question for interest. "It's a bomb that will completely eliminate a certain area. Everything in that area will be gone in a matter of seconds, completely obliterated with no evidence left behind but a crater."

Cornelia was staring at the scientist with her mouth open, unable to comprehend what Clara was saying. Schneizel had sent them a bomb that would destroy completely. She didn't know whether to yell at her half brother the next time she saw him or thank him profusely. With their current plans, they wouldn't be able to use the new weapon offered to them, because they would be seen as harmful terrorists instead of freedom fighters by their supporters. But if they managed to lead some of Lelouch's troops away from the city, then they could use them.

She narrowed her eyes. That idea might have to be added to their plan. If they could completely destroy the troops pursuing them, then that would give them a better chance in another attack. It would, however, have the side effect of making Lelouch even more cautious than he was now. They would have to talk over if they wanted that or not. Even if the weapon wasn't used immediately in battle, they could always just show it off, something to make Lelouch pay attention to them and realize that they were powerful.

Any way she looked at it, she would have to talk to Tohdoh and the others.

Cornelia turned to look out at the trees, clenching one hand into a fist. Tohdoh she didn't mind, not really. She was just used to making her own plans and going with them. While it was good to have another person there for their opinion, it was something that she wasn't used to. But she was going to implement it when she returned to Britannia, as soon as she found someone who was her equal tactically and a group to replace the Glaston Knights.

She flinched at that thought. Not replace, she could never replace the men who had fought so valiantly for her. She would have to build something, a small monument or statue in remembrance of them and then move on. She would not confine herself to the court just because she had lost her men, they would never forgive her for giving up so easily. Besides, she would eventually run away from the court to find something to do, she knew that much about herself.

Cornelia sighed, leaning her cheek on her hand. There would be more battles after this one, long battles, especially when the Black Knights realized that they had been double crossed. Britannia was an empire, and Cornelia wouldn't let it fall when she was alive, not when the blood of so many of her siblings had been spilled to keep the empire together.

Schneizel could have the throne and the day to day running of the empire, she just wanted the freedom and thrill of the battlefield.

For now, she would have to deal with the restrictions placed upon her, ignoring the fact that they were chafing at her. But that was only to be expected. She could count the time that Lelouch had left in months, an improvement over their vague plan just to attack him when he least expected it. And this woman could make sure that Lelouch would think twice before attack them again.

Cornelia turned to look at Clara, glancing at the little girl that was curled by her mother's side. For a moment, she weighed her options before sighing. "It might take time to clear out a room for you, we're a bit scattered at the moment."

"I don't mind."

"Well, as long as your daughter doesn't mind sleeping with people talking. There are a few of us who want to talk to you about the practical use of the F.L.E.I.J.A."

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Clara brushed the hair out of her daughter's eyes. "She's probably half asleep by now."

Cornelia nodded, about to turn away and stare out at the trees again when Clara cleared her throat. She turned to look back at the scientist, surprised by the smile on the woman's face. "Thank you for helping us, and for fighting."

"You're welcome."

Clara nodded slowly. "If it weren't for you and Schneizel, Nina and I would have never gotten away from the emperor. And we just had to, because we couldn't-" She cut herself off, reaching down to play with the gold band on her left hand. "My husband died before Nina was born, so Lelouch couldn't threaten me with his life, but he could take Nina from me, so I ran. Schneizel was the only one willing to help me, because the rest were too scared. And now you're standing up to the emperor too."

Cornelia tensed at the mention of Schneizel, not liking how her half brother had made it look like he was the only one who dared to stand up to Lelouch. She had been out fighting him longer that Schneizel had. Schneizel had just fled and laid low. Cornelia cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice neutral. "It's nothing. We want to get rid of this…the emperor as much as you do."

She waited for Clara to say something else, glancing quickly back at the woman. She relaxed when she saw that Clara was occupied, returning her attention to the trees. At least this scientist was loyal, they didn't have to worry about a double cross, and Cornelia doubted that Lelouch even knew about her. Cornelia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. If she kept thinking like that, it would get her nowhere. She had to focus on the upcoming battle, not her half brother or her own insecurities, that could come later when they had peace.

* * *

 _July 10, 2018_

Suzaku felt Lelouch turn over, opening one eye as Lelouch draped one arm over his stomach. Suzaku tipped his head slightly to the side, smiling when Lelouch took advantage of the move to rest his head on Suzaku's shoulder, drifting back to sleep a moment later. Suzaku had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Lelouch did this every morning, waking up to seek out Suzaku only to fall back asleep. It was enough to make Suzaku wonder why they both rolled away from each other in the middle of the night or why Lelouch protested cuddling any other time.

He sighed, tipping his head so his cheek could rest on top of Lelouch's head. He could see the sun coming in from the windows, but not the clock, that was on Lelouch's side. But, from the length of the light on the floor, Suzaku was willing to guess that it was early in the morning. Even in his time here, with Lelouch's encouragements, he still woke up at the crack of dawn. Still, it gave him time to enjoy Lelouch cuddling with him.

Suzaku placed his hand over Lelouch's, closing his eyes again. He officially existed in this world today, or would in a few more hours. His mother had never told him the exact time of his birth, just that he had been born in the morning. She had blamed his early rising habits on that on the days when she had been stressed and needed her Refrain.

There was a certain disappointment in not being the only him in this world, Suzaku had long gotten over the strangeness that time travel brought with it. Now he wasn't unique or special, he was just the end result of something that started today.

The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. That might not be true, there was still a chance that he would go back and find that he actually had parents, but even that was unlikely. He didn't know where his father was in this world, he had never bothered to find out. His mother had never told him what side Genbu Kururugi had fought for, just that he died fighting for his country. Without that information, Suzaku couldn't save his father, even if he wanted to. Which, strangely enough, he didn't. He had never known the man, there was no emotion there for him to search for. His father was just his father, just an image from pictures and scattered stories that his mother had told him.

Of course, he could save his father to save his mother, but it was already too late for that. His mother had turned to Refrain for more than one reason, his father's death was just the thing that broke her. He was sure that there would have been something else that would have driven her to the drug eventually. It was too late to save her now.

That thought made him want to flinch, but he kept still for Lelouch's sake. Even if he could save his mother, he wasn't really sure what she was like. Was she the kind woman or the woman who had snapped at him? Which part was the real her and which part was the Refrain? It was too much for him to pull out of hazy memories that he had spent his life pushing away. Besides, he liked living with Lloyd and Cecile, he was happy there. Was it so bad to want to remain in the place where he knew he would be happy instead of making one where he thought he would?

Suzaku sighed, opening his eyes again. In any case, he was about to be born and turn eighteen at the same time. Stranger things had happened to him.

"It's too early to be thinking." Suzaku smiled at the sound of Lelouch's voice, feeling the emperor shift so he was pressed against Suzaku's side.

"I'm sorry, my lord."

Lelouch huffed, dragging his hand over Suzaku's chest to rest on his left shoulder. Suzaku tensed as Lelouch's fingers brushed over his scar, relaxing when Lelouch did nothing more but touch. He glanced down at the emperor, not surprised to see Lelouch staring thoughtfully at the injury, or as thoughtful as Lelouch could look still rumpled from sleep.

Suzaku chuckled to himself, placing his hand on Lelouch's hip and shutting his eyes again. Lelouch was probably going to insist that they remain in here until it was at least eight or nine, probably the latter. He had nothing better to do at the moment, so he might as well get a few more hours of sleep. Lelouch was keeping them both up late as they talked about what to do, or tried to talk. Suzaku had been more than willing to allow himself to be distracted from their business lately. He was just trying to enjoy everything that he had now, and to make sure that Lelouch enjoyed it as well.

He tensed as Lelouch gently squeezed his shoulder, the emperor trying to get his attention. "What could you be possibly thinking about this early?"

Suzaku turned to look at Lelouch, considering his options. He wasn't going to lie to the emperor, there was enough of that already, but it was a matter of what he was going to say. He had already messed up so many times when it came to his plans with the future, he didn't want to jeopardize anything else.

He sighed, moving his head so he could rest his cheek on the top of Lelouch's head again. "About my birthday."

"Why?"

"It's today." He felt Lelouch tense. "Don't worry about it."

"You never told me."

"It's not important." Suzaku winced as Lelouch squeezed his shoulder again, harder than he needed to. "You never asked. It's not like it's important to your plans."

Lelouch didn't seem to like the answer. Suzaku sighed at the glare that he was receiving before rolling over on his side. "It's my job to worry about you, Lelouch, that's what a knight does. It doesn't work the other way around."

Lelouch looked away quickly, Suzaku surprised. Usually Lelouch would yell at him for making an assumption, but he had gone quiet, obviously thinking. The only warning that Suzaku got before Lelouch spoke was another gently squeeze to his shoulder. "But this isn't a matter for knights and emperors. It's a matter between us. In matters between us, we are equal."

Suzaku nodded slowly, leaning into Lelouch's hand when it pressed against his cheek. That brought a smile to Lelouch's face.

The emperor snuggled further down into the covers, dragging Suzaku with him. He rolled his eyes at the expectant look Lelouch gave him. "It's my birthday."

"You've told me that. Something else."

"Something else?" Suzaku hummed, tipping his head back slightly. "I'm eighteen."

"Eighteen?"

The wistfulness in Lelouch's voice made Suzaku worried. "Lelouch?"

The emperor laughed, stroking Suzaku's cheek. "I sometimes forget that we're so young."

"Not that young." Lelouch gave him a long look, Suzaku about to respond when he remembered. This was the oldest that Lelouch was going to get. There were only three months before an assassin would press a gun to Lelouch's head and fire. Suzaku swallowed a whimper, wrapping his arms around Lelouch and pulling him close. He ignored Lelouch's high pitched yelp of surprise, pressing his face against Lelouch's neck. "Not that young."

Suzaku was surprised when he was allowed to hold Lelouch like that, tensing when Lelouch shifted in his hold. His brief moment of fear was for nothing, Lelouch just reaching up to stroke the back of Suzaku's neck. He felt Lelouch's hair on his jaw, smiling as Lelouch moved closer to him, one of Lelouch's legs draped over his own.

He was willing to hold this position until Lelouch decided that it was time for them to get up, but Lelouch seemed to have other ideas.

Suzaku tensed at the first gentle kiss that was pressed against his neck, relaxing with a shiver as Lelouch repeated the move. The emperor worked his way up to Suzaku's jaw, abandoning the kisses to trace a finger over Suzaku's jawbone. "We should probably tone down the act, it's getting a bit too tempting to just touch you all the time."

"Isn't that the point?"

"We want people to talk, not know what's going on." Lelouch seemed to be studying Suzaku's lips, turning his head from one side to the other. "It's part of the mystery, allowing them glimpses without allowing them to know the truth."

Lelouch hesitated for a moment before gently pushing on Suzaku, draping himself over the knight as Suzaku rolled onto his back. They lay there for a while, Suzaku closing his eyes as he felt Lelouch shift to get comfortable, freeing all of the limbs that had been trapped with the move. Suzaku smiled when Lelouch settled down. "Well, there's no one here now, unless you want to continue to sleep."

Suzaku went to roll over onto his side, surprised when Lelouch remained flopped over him, trying to keep Suzaku from moving. He relented, settling on his back in time for Lelouch to lean down and kiss him. He opened his eyes at that, meeting Lelouch's gaze as he propped himself up to put more pressure into the kiss.

He felt Lelouch's distraction before he saw the nearly frantic look back at the door. Suzaku broke the kiss with a sigh, slipping one of his arms around Lelouch's waist before flipping them over. Lelouch would never position himself on top, at least not intentionally. He would freeze up when he realized it and stare at the door. Suzaku placed the blame squarely on assassination attempts, even though Lelouch hadn't talked about any. But, seeing as Lelouch had managed to kill his father, it wasn't too strange to think that someone could easily kill Lelouch the same way. And it frightened Lelouch, enough to make him freeze up.

Lelouch struggled in his hold. "No. It's your birthday, let me-"

"What if I want it like this?" Suzaku whispered the words into Lelouch's ear, feeling the emperor go still beneath him. "Hm? What's so bad about doing it this way? You can say you owe me one if you have to."

"Suzaku-"

"I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do." Suzaku let out a relieved sigh when Lelouch stopped fighting, the emperor just wrapping his arms around Suzaku and holding him close.

They were getting good at reading each other, or maybe it would be more correct to say that he was getting better at reading Lelouch. They were spending so much time together it was impossible not to.

Suzaku ducked his head, nuzzling Lelouch's neck and feeling him shiver. He reached up to grab one of Lelouch's hands, entwining their fingers and pressing their hands back against the sheets. Lelouch just pressed his forehead to Suzaku's collarbone, hooking a leg around Suzaku's waist and just staying there.

He would have been content to remain tangled with Lelouch for a while longer, but he felt Lelouch move. Suzaku sighed, thinking that Lelouch was going to ask him to get off. He was stopped partially through his movement as Lelouch rested his free on Suzaku's shoulder. "No. Don't go. Stay."

Suzaku obeyed the order, shivering when he felt Lelouch's lips against his neck. He managed to remain still as Lelouch kissed up to his jaw again, the emperor following the line of his jaw to his chin and then his lips.

His patience ran out then, Suzaku turning his head to kiss Lelouch. He felt the hand on his shoulder move to his neck and then to his hair, wincing as Lelouch pulled a bit too hard. But that was easy enough to ignore, especially when Lelouch was pressing against him, using that leg that he had hooked around Suzaku's waist to pull Suzaku closer.

Suzaku moaned, lifting the hand that hand pinned Lelouch's to the covers, only to have Lelouch grab it again. "Don't move it."

He nodded breathlessly, moving his hand back to rest over Lelouch's. He purposefully didn't go back to holding Lelouch's hand immediately, trailing his fingers over Lelouch's wrist and palm. He felt Lelouch mutter his name against his neck, the puff of air a brief warning before Lelouch bit down.

Suzaku jerked in surprise, gasping as the move rubbed his erection against Lelouch's thigh. He grabbed a hold of Lelouch's hand, sliding his fingers against Lelouch's. He felt Lelouch smirk against his neck before repeating the move, Suzaku rutting against the emperor's thigh.

"Lelouch, please…"

"I don't want you to move from this spot, Suzaku." Lelouch nuzzled his neck, Suzaku twitching as Lelouch shifted the two of them.

"C-clothes?"

Lelouch froze, staring up at Suzaku before muttering a quiet, "Damn it." Then, he was pushing Suzaku off of him and fumbling at his pajamas. Suzaku couldn't quite process the transition as quickly, staring as Lelouch threw off his top and started on his pants. The reason why Lelouch had stopped was just making its way into his mind when Lelouch's attention was turned to him. Before he could get a full grasp on what was happening, Lelouch was already peeling off Suzaku's boxers and tossing them to one side. "There. Better."

"W-what?" Suzaku never got his answer, Lelouch pulling him down again.

He groped for Lelouch's hand again, finding it and squeezing it gently. Lelouch smiled and squeezed back, propping himself up slightly to be able to whisper in Suzaku's ear. "Whatever you want. Tell me what you want and I'll do it."

Suzaku stared at him, his mouth hanging open in shock. He could barely process the request, too distracted by the feel of Lelouch's skin against his. Suzaku blundered through the thought process. "Lelouch I…I don't want anything."

Lelouch didn't seem to believe him, pulling Suzaku down for a kiss. Suzaku let him, wrapping his arm around Lelouch's waist to pull him closer. He really didn't want anything, he already had everything he wanted. And what he really wanted couldn't happen.

He gasped as Lelouch began grinding against him, gritting his teeth and pressing back against Lelouch. At least now he could forget. Now he had a distraction. Because they had never done this before, not for long anyway. Lelouch was always impatient when he got to this part, clutching at Suzaku and trying to encourage him to hurry. But now he seemed content to let Suzaku press against him, thrusting just as eagerly against Suzaku's thigh.

He tightened his grip on Lelouch's hand, giving up on the kisses that they were sharing so he could gasp for breath. Suzaku could hear Lelouch doing the same, starting out of his rhythm as Lelouch wrapped a leg around his. Suzaku moaned as Lelouch's foot jerked up along his calf, pressing his mouth against Lelouch's shoulder to prevent any other sound from escaping.

Then Lelouch's hand was on his shoulder, clinging to him as Lelouch arched up against him. "Fuck…Suzaku…"

Lelouch was close, Suzaku could tell by the muttered words that trailed off into whines and the way that Lelouch clutched at his shoulder. Suzaku moaned against Lelouch's throat, adjusting his grip on Lelouch's hand. He felt Lelouch give a weak squeeze in return, Lelouch's fingers gently rubbing against his. And it was too much.

Suzaku came with a cry, slumping against Lelouch. He felt Lelouch paused for a second, the emperor probably surprised that he had lasted longer than Suzaku. Suzaku whined, wanting nothing more than to just allow himself to drift in a post-orgasmic haze, but he could still feel Lelouch against his thigh.

He shifted, ignoring Lelouch's groan of protest. Suzaku wrapped his fingers around Lelouch's cock and began to stroke. That got Lelouch's mind off the fact that Suzaku had moved, Suzaku watching Lelouch arch and gasp as he was brought to his climax.

Suzaku allowed himself to collapse over Lelouch then, staring at their joined hands. He smiled, glad that he had been able to carry out at least one of Lelouch's requests. Suzaku sighed and started to close his eyes, only to be jostled as Lelouch sat up.

"Shower."

"What?"

Lelouch was already sliding off of the bed, but he hadn't let go of Suzaku's hand. He gave it a little tug, pulling until Suzaku scrambled out of the bed. Suzaku was led to the bathroom, surprised as he watched Lelouch grab a towel for the two of them and turn on the water with one hand, throwing little glances back at Suzaku.

Suzaku struggled to get his mind working, coming back to himself as Lelouch carefully guided them both under the shower's spray. He tilted his head back, letting the water fall on his face to help wake him up further. He had to be awake and functioning perfectly to guard Lelouch, any day something could happen. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something went wrong.

He lowered his head to look at Lelouch, surprised when the emperor dropped his hand, separating them for the first time that morning. Suzaku reached out for Lelouch's shoulder, surprised when he was pushed away, Lelouch turning around to stare at the wall.

"Suzaku," he jumped at the sound of Lelouch's voice. "I think I may like you more than I should."

He stared at Lelouch, running the words through his head. He knew what they meant, he knew what Lelouch was trying to say. It was a matter of holding the real meaning close, because he was sure that this would be the one time Lelouch came close to saying it.

Suzaku stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Lelouch and pulling the emperor back against him. Lelouch glanced over his shoulder before hanging his head, the water wetting down his hair and hiding his eyes. Suzaku sighed and pressed the side of his head against Lelouch's. "Lelouch, I…"

He felt Lelouch's fingers slide against his cheek, tipping his head to the side so he could rest his cheek against the palm of Lelouch's hand. Neither of them wanted to hear it or say it, or else it would become something real, something that they couldn't get away from. There was some part of Suzaku's mind telling him that Lelouch was just his first, that there would always be some attachment to his first. Suzaku ignored it, kissing Lelouch's palm.

While Lelouch was alive, he would never think about replacing him. It would take him a while to get over Lelouch. Lelouch was different and intoxicating in his own way, something that Suzaku had yet to encounter at Ashford. In his mind, there was no replacement for Lelouch, so he wasn't even going to try.

He glanced over at Lelouch, smiling when the saw that the emperor was staring at him. "Is it alright that I feel the same way?"

Suzaku saw Lelouch blush, only getting a quick glance before Lelouch turned away, the emperor trying to pull away from him. Suzaku kept his grip loose, but he didn't let Lelouch pull away. Lelouch attempted to free himself a few for times before slumping in Suzaku's hold. "Why would you ask?"

"Is it?"

"Of course it is!" Lelouch twisted to look at him, still blushing. The emperor ducked his head. "You don't need to ask. It's not like I'd do anything to you just because-"

"I just needed to know." Suzaku winced as he interrupted Lelouch, sighing and pulling Lelouch closer to him. "Can I just hold you like this for a while longer?"

"Alright." Lelouch tipped his head back so it could rest on Suzaku's shoulder. "Those meetings can just be pushed back anyway. They weren't vital in the first place."

"Thank you." Suzaku resettled his arms around Lelouch, his fingers brushing over Lelouch's sides. He felt Lelouch shiver in his arms, stopping the gentle movement. Of course Lelouch would be ticklish, Suzaku rolled his eyes, hiding his smile when Lelouch glanced back up at him.

He didn't want the two of them arguing, even if they meant it in jest. This was what he really wanted for his birthday, a quiet moment where he could pretend that there was nothing going on. He was just in the shower with his boyfriend, enjoying a moment of calm. Afterward, they would just go and face the world together, not as emperor and knight but as equals. There was nothing threatening on the horizon and it was all so mind numbingly boring that it was wonderful.

Suzaku sighed as Lelouch's hand tangled in his hair, Lelouch's fingers rubbing against his scalp. It wasn't like that though, Suzaku didn't want to spend the rest of his life imagining what could have been with Lelouch. He wanted to be able to mourn and move on, that's all he could do. Still, that didn't mean that he would ignore these moments. Suzaku leaned into Lelouch's touch, his eyes closing.

He didn't know how long they stood there, only opening his eyes when Lelouch moved away from him. Suzaku reluctantly let go of the emperor, watching as Lelouch leaned over to grab the shampoo. He must have looked disappointed, it was the only reason Lelouch would have paused.

"We can't cancel all of the meetings and we can't stay in here forever."

"I know." Suzaku looked away.

He jumped as he felt Lelouch's hands in his hair, turning to stare at the emperor. Lelouch just grinned at him. "Just for today, considering it's your birthday. But you owe me."

"I'll return the favor tomorrow."

"You better."

Suzaku laughed at the muttered response, reaching back to ghost his fingers over Lelouch's arm, feeling the emperor shiver. What they had wasn't the boring, mundane normal relationship that he longed for, but it worked. With Lelouch, Suzaku couldn't imagine it being normal, and that suited him just fine.

* * *

 _July 30, 2018_

Schneizel stared at the jumble of parts that still surrounded the Damocles. He couldn't fathom how this had happened, the construction had been going so well up to this point, and then it had just stopped. He rubbed his forehead, glancing around at the workers and scientist that were scrambling to continue work as fast as they could. Schneizel glimpsed some of the royals in hiding taking their chance to stroll past where the Damocles was sitting.

They probably wanted to watch the glory of Britannia fall.

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to look completely calm. It had all been going so well earlier in the month. He had sent Clara and her daughter off to Area 11 with high hopes that the Damocles would follow in a matter of days. But something had happened during production, something that he hadn't been told about yet. All he knew was that something had been discovered, which had led to three weeks of work being undone to fix the problem. Now, the scientists were trying to get the Damocles back together as fast as they could, but they were making minor mistakes in their panic.

It was enough to make Schneizel want to cancel the project altogether. But that was impossible as he had promised Cornelia his help, and the F.L.E.I.J.A. needed the Damocles to be able to be fired.

Schneizel sighed, watching the scientists and trying to decide which one he could pull aside without having to worry that he was disrupting their work. They had been given their deadline a few days earlier, the tenth of August, which was adding more panic to the team. The Damocles might have been done by that date before this mess had started, but definitely not now. He would just have to send that message to Cornelia.

But, he could always hold out, see if his men could actually get the fortress into some sort of working order. For now, he would be content with it flying and its offensive and defensive systems ready. He didn't need the stately rooms that would truly make it a floating fortress, at least not yet. It was better to have some systems working than none at all.

Then again, he could always just ignore the need to tell Cornelia about the set back, but that would place him in an even more awkward position. The Black Knights were only cooperating with him because they thought that he would help, which he intended to. But he had sent ahead people to help them, which could easily become hostages. And, if he failed in this, then Cornelia would turn on him as well. Schneizel already had his hands full fighting Lelouch, he didn't want to have to deal with Cornelia too. That would happen if the Black Knights decided not to hold Cornelia hostage against further double crosses.

He had managed to get himself into a corner here, a feeling that he did not relish. His only clear way out was to report the failure of the Damocles to the Black Knights, preferably after he had concrete information, and promise his support later. The full assault against Lelouch could easily be pushed back. Until then the Black Knights could raid to their hearts' content and whittle down Lelouch's forces. While Lelouch had the upper hand, he also had the longer supply line when it came to troops, and he had to deal with the people's approval.

Or maybe he didn't. Schneizel shook his head. He had seen what his little brother had been doing for the past months, wondering if Lelouch had gone insane. First, he had yet to restore the aristocracy to their rightful places. In fact, he had made sure that all of the families who were related to the Knights of the Round who had rebelled had been ruined. Then, he had started granting powers to the people or theoretical powers. He had announced his ideas and then had been blocked when he had tried to ignore the Senate. While the Senate wasn't as powerful as it had once been, the emperor made the show of pushing bills through the houses. It gave the people the feeling that they were choosing their own laws.

What Lelouch was doing was worse than their father. Charles zi Britannia had been a tyrant, that could not be denied, but he had allowed the people their illusion of power. Lelouch had stripped that away from them.

He had also taken the step to remove the title of Numbers from the native people of the Areas, something that should have put them firmly on his side. But Lelouch had made no move to free their countries, he had restored some of their rights after Euphemia's death. Even the announcement hadn't been made publicaly, it had been allowed to leak out. Schneizel wouldn't have been surprised if even the Black Knights didn't know yet.

For all of his brilliance, Lelouch was ruling his empire the wrong way, and it was going to work against him in the coming war. That was what Schneizel was counting on with the delays in the Damocles system. Hopefully the people would realize what Lelouch was doing to them and attempt to fight back. They probably wouldn't react on time, which was a shame to all of those involved in trying to dethrone Lelouch.

Schneizel leaned forward, resting his arm on the railing that surrounded the Damocles. He would make the call at the end of this week, when he was sure that the Damocles would either be grounded or on its way over to Area 11. Cornelia couldn't complain about his timing then, because the project was being rushed along as it was. It would be better to give her an up to date report instead of one that was weeks behind. If he wanted her continued respect, he had to treat her like a competent commander instead of a princess. The easiest way to get on her bad side was to refer to her only in the terms of a princess. Of course, he knew how to get out of that situation, he had to.

He smiled. It helped his position that he knew how to handle all of his siblings, or at least the ones that were still alive. With Cornelia, you had to treat her as an equal and act that it was a military operation no matter what. Flattery came easily, just compliment her achievements and compare them to things that Marianne had done, although Cornelia was more likely to thing that he was teasing her. Nunnally was easy enough to manipulate, he just had to explain everything to her without mentioning any of the downsides that would come from the action.

Lelouch was the easiest out of all of them, probably because Schneizel thought almost the same way. But his weakness was the simplest one. All Schneizel had to do was mention putting one of the few people he had allowed himself to get close to, and Lelouch would panic. When Lelouch was panicking it was easy to get past him. Schneizel would have to pass that information on to Cornelia, maybe she could put Lelouch in check while they waited for the Damocles.

He pushed away from the rail, turning around as he heard the sound of running feet. Schneizel raised an eyebrow as one of the scientists rushed up to him, the man nearly falling over as he went to bow. Schneizel motioned for the man to speak, rolling his eyes as the scientist stumbled through the usual greeting.

"We've finally managed to pinpoint the problem, your highness." Schneizel started to pay attention when the scientist returned to the subject of the Damocles. "The float system was too weak to support the whole structure and expanding the system to hold the fortress caused structural problems as the whole thing wasn't properly balanced."

"Is there a reason why this wasn't worked out before?"

The scientist froze, glancing between Schneizel and where the Damocles was. The man swallowed and shrugged. "We had worked out the workload that the float system could handle before, but we greatly overestimated the system. It worked in the testing stages, but practically and on a fortress this size, it didn't work the way we thought it would. We would have started to remove extraneous systems but, since this is to be a fortress and a base, we can't. So we had to rework it and strengthen the float system."

Schneizel sighed, leaning back against the railing again. "I see."

"There have been rumors that a newer float systems have been created, one by Earl Asplund and one by Rakshata Chawla, although the latter is just improvements that were made to the original float system. We have tried to match the one made by Rakshata, because we didn't have the time to figure out how Earl Asplund managed his system."

"Spies can be diverted to different tasks."

"Yes, your highness, but I don't think the emperor would be too keen on letting this one thing go."

Schneizel tipped his head to the side. The scientist was right about that, any spy that they set too close to Lelouch had always been caught; it would have been suicidal to send one to spy directly on the developments with the Knightmare Frames. Still, a spy could have been diverted to just feed little bits of information, but that would run into the problem of just passing along rumors. The only sure way to fix this problem would be to capture one of those who had worked under Earl Asplund or the earl himself, which was nearly as impossible, because they didn't have the forces to push through Lelouch's Knightmares and take a scientist that would be lurking near the back. There was always the option of a trade, but they didn't have anyone worth the trade, and Schneizel wasn't going to give up himself or any one of his allies, not until he was sure that it was the best course of action.

He tapped his fingers against the railing. "You're right. It was a horrendous oversight that we're paying for."

"Thank you for understanding."

"I'm afraid my sister won't be." Schneizel stared at the Damocles, quickly coming to a decision. "How long will it take to get the work back to its old pace?"

"Two to three weeks, my lord."

"Then you will have to forgo the luxuries, we can have them added later. With the float system the way it is now the fortress with work for both offense and defense, correct?" The scientist nodded, Schneizel fighting back a smile. "Then continue to adjust the systems so it will withstand attacks by Knightmares. We'll leave the rooms at a bare minimum for the time being. There will be time to furnish them properly as soon as we have all that we need."

"Yes, my lord." The scientist bowed. "Thank you, my lord."

"Continue with your work then. I want to try and make that gap as small as possible." The man bowed again before scuttling off, Schneizel turning back to look at his fortress.

Despite careful planning, things had gone wrong. Schneizel raised one shoulder, not willing to show an obvious sign of his thoughts with the other royals watching. It was bound to, especially with the limited resources that they had been given, but at least they had made it this far.

He looked up at the royal heirs that were continuing to make their circuit of the Damocles. He could manage one thing for his sister, some reinforcements that would come in over the next few weeks. If Cornelia couldn't have the fortress, then she could at least have something to ease the annoyance that she would feel.

The reinforcements would have to be mercenaries, or at least hired as mercenaries on paper. The men would be under orders that they had signed on for the money, that they were indeed mercenaries instead of members of the standing armies of the EU countries. Lelouch would probably easily see through a ruse, but he wouldn't be able to attack any of the EU nations without a fear of repercussion. But Schneizel wasn't even sure that would stop him, Lelouch seemed to be acting without a care in the world. So he was depending on Lelouch's reluctance to engage in a war on two fronts. Even then the standing armies of the EU countries would be enough to hold him back.

Schneizel pushed away from the railing, straightening his sleeve. He would just have to rely on their planning and a little luck, since Lelouch was becoming so troublesome to read. Even with that, Schneizel was sure they would succeed. After all, Lelouch still viewed battles as a simple game of chess, and Schneizel was still the only person who could beat him. It was a foregone conclusion that Schneizel would win this war.

* * *

 _August 4, 2018_

Cornelia settled back in her chair as the screen flickered to life. It was strange being in this room alone after sitting in with the rest of the leaders of the Black Knights, especially when she was talking to Schneizel. Under the leadership of the JLF, she had been allowed to speak with him privately, but the Black Knights had not allowed her that and she had respected them more for that reason. The Black Knights realized her value, but never thought of her as anything more than a temporary ally. In that way, they were smarter than the JLF ever were.

She leaned back as Schneizel appeared on the screen, Cornelia taking a moment to look over her brother. To her annoyance, she couldn't pick out anything specific that would lead her to think that he was hiding something from her. She narrowed her eyes, staring at the room behind him before giving up. By now, he would have probably guessed her mood from her posture. Since that was the case, she didn't have to waste time with drawn out pleasantries.

"You promised me a fortress, Schneizel. You know those F.L.E.I.J.A. are useless without something to launch from."

"And I plan to keep my promise. You will have your fortress, eventually."

Cornelia tensed, glaring at her brother. "Eventually?" She waited until he had nodded before continuing. "I don't have time for eventually. We start our attack in six days."

"The anniversary of the subjugation of Japan?" Schneizel shook his head. "That's not a smart move, Cornelia."

"No, and Lelouch will be expecting an all out attack, not a quick raid from the subway tunnels far away from his residence." Cornelia smirked, feeling herself relax. "I said we'd start then, not finish. As far as I'm concerned we're not ready to face him in an all out battle, not without your support."

"Which I will give."

"Just not on time."

"Cornelia," she heard the frustration in his voice, surprise that he had allowed himself to show that much. "I am trapped with people less than willing to help. Everything I get out of them is the result of the slow process of diplomacy. Of course I never promise something that Britannia could never give, but the fact still remains, I have my hands tied here. All that I have is focused on our alliance, but I'm relying on you and the Black Knights to serve as the main force because you have the support of the people on your side."

"That's no excuse…"

"It is not an excuse, it's the truth." Schneizel evenly met her gaze. "Construction of the fortress I had promised you was held back as a result of the technology that we have. I have given the orders that the Damocles be less of a permanent base and more of a fortress, so that should bring the schedule up. We are back to our predicted level of progress at this moment. But it coincides perfectly with your plans."

"Your failure coincides with my plans?" Cornelia laughed. "I doubt it. I bet you planned it this way."

"You know that I want to get rid of Lelouch as fast as possible. So why would I allow my team to fall behind schedule? Cornelia, if you weaken his troops then the final attack would not take as long and we could be on even ground."

Cornelia tipped her head to the side, hating that she saw reason in Schneizel's plans. "I see what you're saying, but I don't completely agree."

"I thought you wouldn't, but it's the best I can offer."

She gripped the armrest of her chair. She was in a good position right now, she could demand anything of Schneizel to make up for the oversight. They had made a deal and he wasn't ready to deliver. He had promised a fortress and a weapon, but had only given them the weapon. As it was, the F.L.E.I.J.A. would be a big help to their side, but they were constrained to using it in where people wouldn't get injured; they couldn't risk the blow to their image. And Cornelia was not too keen on strapping the bombs to Knightmare Frames. Despite Clara Einstein's assurances that they wouldn't detonate until fired, Cornelia had seen firsthand what kind of accidents happened on the battlefield, even with well tested equipment. Their Knightmares were too precious to give up.

Still, that gave them an aim for their raid tomorrow, anything that could fly that they could launch the F.L.E.I.J.A. from. It would take them dangerously close to the administrative building, but it would have to be done.

Cornelia glanced back up at Schneizel and raised an eyebrow. "The best that you can offer?"

It was gratifying to hear her brother sigh, Cornelia watching as Schneizel's shoulders slumped. "I'm organizing a group of men who will, for all intents and purposes, be mercenaries. I'll be sending them over as soon as possible to assist with the raids. If there are a few men willing in the former Chinese Federation, then I will collect them too."

"And put us in the debt of the EU?"

"Remember, sister, I don't promise what Britannia can't offer." Schneizel shrugged. "And I have plans of my own for the EU, plans that you should enjoy."

"I don't enjoy diplomacy."

"I know, which is why you'll be the threat. Think about it, Princess Cornelia li Britannia and her new group of knights, the strong arm of Britannia. With you at the head of our army, we won't be brought down so easily again."

She was blushing, and she hated it. Schneizel knew how to flatter her, just like she knew how to fluster him. But it was hard to tell if it was a lie. Schneizel knew how to use his subordinates better than anyone that she knew, but he was never careless about it. It was the idea that she would be his subordinate that rattled her.

On the other hand, Schneizel was one of the few in their family that could stand long bouts of diplomacy to win a single point, so it was a valid division of labor.

She shook her head, it was just a distraction in any case. She folded her hands on her lap. "Are you sure that you're not pushing us further into trouble?"

"Trust me in my area of expertise, Cornelia, and I will trust you in yours." Schneizel grinned at her, leaning back in his chair. "Now, the plan for the Black Knights thus far is just raids?"

"Yes. Most of them don't like it, but it's the best we can do. The only scheduled one is for the tenth. The others will be decided for random days."

"Eliminating patterns, that's good."

"We also plan to move our camp." It was a lie, but Cornelia was going to encourage the leaders to do that anyway. They had remained in one place for too long, Lelouch had to be looking for them now. They would chose different points to meet at during their next meeting and then move to their new location from there. Cornelia had wanted to keep their forces split to make it easier for them to hide, but communication issues prevented that from happening. "It's too dangerous to stay here."

"Has Lelouch found you yet?"

"No, but he will now that he's not distracted."

"Ah yes, the great distraction. Do you have any information about that?"

Cornelia shook her head. "Just rumors. A lot of the Elevens-"

"They're Japanese now, Cornelia, Lelouch has given them that right."

Cornelia gritted her teeth at the interruption. "A lot of the Japanese are saying that it's because of his knight. Some of them think that Kururugi is secretly working for the Black Knights, which isn't true. The rest believe that Kururugi has control of Lelouch."

"Which could be partially true."

"Either way, we can't know. Personally I think Lelouch took the time to watch the consequences of his actions unfold and plan a way to counteract them."

"That does sound like Lelouch." Schneizel smiled. "Except for the fact that he's making everything worse for himself instead of better."

"Then what do you think?"

"I think that we'll never know. Lelouch certainly won't tell us. I think we'll just have to live with that disappointment."

Cornelia didn't know how Schneizel could just say something like that. There was something in Lelouch's absence during those months, and she knew that it didn't bode well for them. Lelouch was anything but careless.

"You can. But I want to find out."

Schneizel chuckled to himself. "Well then, I'll try and arrange time for you to question him, if it's possible."

"It'll be possible. I'll catch him on the battlefield. We don't want the word getting out to his supporters that he's still alive."

"If he has any supporters by then."

Cornelia shrugged, crossing her arms. "Anything else to report."

"You're such an army commander Cornelia." Schneizel smiled at her. "The nobles over here are staying quiet and lying low, but they've been doing that for four years. We won't have to fight a war on this side."

"No, just one to take all of the Areas back."

"Let them have their freedom."

"What?"

Schneizel met her gaze. "Let them have their freedom, at least for a little bit. Then, start taking up the slack again. If we just pull them back to the state they were before, then it would undo everything we worked for. Start introducing things slowly and have a careful plan laid out. It will take years, but we'll have Britannia back to its former glory."

Cornelia sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I have no patience for diplomacy."

"Which is why I will handle it sister." She looked up in time to see Schneizel turn off his end of the conversation, letting out an annoyed huff. She wasn't even done speaking with him, but he had decided to cut it short. Schneizel was probably avoiding too much contact to keep from allowing Cornelia to find out little secrets.

That was just like her brother.

She sighed and stood up, glancing at the time. The meeting had to be called soon to get the general panic over with, they would be useless until more of the leaders calmed down. Cornelia gritted her teeth. If it were up to her, she would get rid of the fools that insisted on trying to lead their resistance group. But she couldn't, so that left Ohgi and Tohdoh to take care of them, something she was very happy to just allow them to do.

Cornelia opened the door, surprised to see that the people she needed to call had already been gathered. She took a moment to stare before stepping aside to let them in. She spotted Kallen in the group, but ignored her presence. In all honesty she preferred the meetings when the pilot was there, it meant that they had another voice of reason and someone to stop rumors from spreading among the troops.

She walked back to her seat, sitting down and watching the others. Perhaps it would be better to carefully explain the situation to them to avoid as much panic as she could. They could reach an understanding sooner instead of spending hours locked in here listening to arguments.

Cornelia glanced around the table one last time before leaning forward. "The fortress that Schneizel promised will not be here on time to support our first raid."

As expected, the men around the table immediately started to demand why. Cornelia listened as they began to spout theories, most of them not making any sense. From the way they were going about it, Cornelia guessed that they would be arguing for a long time.

Of course, she could have avoided all of this, but she really hated diplomacy.


	23. Chapter 23

** Chapter Twenty-Three **

_August 10, 2018_

Kallen kept glancing nervously at the ceiling of the old subway tunnel they were in, partially expecting a Britannian Knightmare to come plunging down at any time. She gritted her teeth, clenching her hands around the joysticks. That was impossible, they wouldn't know that they were here, at least not yet. They were probably waiting for an all out attack, the usual antics from a Japanese resistance group. Some part of Kallen still wanted to go for that kind of attack, but she agreed with the others, they were still too weak to attempt that.

Besides, this would give them a chance to get what they really needed. The extra shuttles would help them move people around more easily and give them something to launch the F.L.E.I.J.A. from. They needed these shuttles if any of their later plans were to work. They didn't need a high casualty battle. The Japanese people would just have to boast about their intelligence rather than their strength in battle.

She smiled to herself, glancing at the Knightmare that was beside her. She had no idea why Cornelia had insisted on traveling with her group through the tunnels. Kallen had been assigned to look after most of the hot headed pilots, Ohgi had thought her presence would calm them. She had been hoping that Tohdoh would have been put with her or that they had just left her alone. Putting a Britannian princess with them was just about the dumbest thing they could have done.

Kallen glanced up as a call appeared on her screen, blinking quickly when she recognized Cornelia's face.

The Britannian princess stared at her for a moment before clearing her throat. "We'll be out in the open soon. Send the order to get into as much of a battle formation down here as possible. We'll wait for Ohgi's group to start the distraction and for Tohdoh and his group to take out the guards."

"Right." Kallen sifted, reaching out for the button to use the outside speakers. It was a risk, but talking to all of their group one at a time would just take longer, and it was less time that could be spent getting ready.

"Hold on a moment." She paused with her fingers just above the button, staring back at Cornelia. The princess gave her a stern look. "I don't trust these men."

"You should. They're part of the Black Knights."

"Oh, I trust that much. They're too eager."

Kallen found herself nodding, unable to hate herself for agreeing. It was good that they were attacking this early, but the date was wrong. Most of their new recruits were itching to avenge Japan's humiliation from eight years before. They would have to watch them carefully and insist that they stick to their orders. It was good that Tohdoh would be close, most of the recruits respected him.

"Keep them distracted and close to the action and they'll be fine. They can be sent in for the shuttles, accompanied by older members."

That got a smile out of Cornelia, Kallen started at the expression. "I was just about to suggest that."

The call was cut off quickly. Kallen stared at the screen for a moment more before shaking her head. There was no time to think on this, she had to act.

She pressed down on the button, relaying the orders to the rest of the Knightmares following her. "Assemble in formation when we get to our destination. We will wait for the signal to attack. Stick close together and go after those shuttles."

The orders echoed off of the walls of the subway tunnel, Kallen wincing. How could they know that the Britannians weren't listening in? They had used the tunnels to their advantage before, because there were too many of them to actually guard. But the Britannians had to know that they would be attacking today.

She slowed the Guren, letting the Knightmare coast to a stop. Kallen glanced up at the roof above her. They would blast through here and pull themselves up, Tohdoh's group providing the cover that they needed. Just behind them was a truck full of those who had volunteered to drive the shuttles away. Kallen swallowed, they had already been briefed on which escape routes to use and the way they would move back to their base, all of them taking different directions and slowly making their way back. Hopefully, the Britannians would be too occupied trying to figure out what they had taken to do anything else.

"Now."

Kallen jumped at the order, maneuvering the Guren into position even as she got over her shock. She had expected some kind of warning from Tohdoh, not just a quick command from over the incom. The surprise didn't stop her from using the Radiant Wave Surger on the ceiling of the tunnel ahead of her. She only got to see the concrete bulge before she had to shut her eyes, smiling at the sound of falling debris.

She glanced at the hole, quickly falling into line behind Cornelia. She fired her own Slash Harken as soon as Cornelia was out of the way, using it to haul the Guren to the surface.

The yard that she entered was in complete chaos. Soldiers were rushing around, trying to get to weapons or to a better place to attack. Knightmares, ones that she could only assume belonged to the police, were in various stages of readiness. It looked like the Britannians hadn't been expected them after all. They were idiots to think that they could just ignore them today.

Kallen sighed, sending the Guren out to join Tohdoh and the others. She wouldn't be needed to protect the soldiers who were going to steal the shuttles, the other pilots would do that. The Guren was too good for it just to languish on guard duty.

She wove through the battlefield, focusing on the Knightmares rather than the foot soldiers. The soldiers didn't have any of the heavy weaponry that would endanger the Knightmares, which left only one real enemy. The Knightmares themselves were easy enough to defeat, Kallen finding herself thinking that this was a waste of her time too. She could have been racing for the emperor's residence rather than taking down Knightmares that weren't moving and idiot pilots that just sat in the exposed seats with horrified stares on their faces, their hands on their…

Kallen blinked, zooming in on one of the pilots as he tugged at something around his next. It was a shock collar, the kind used on dangerous prisoners. It was programmed to administer an electric shock when the prisoner made any kind of noise. But prisoners weren't allowed to be pilots, just as the Japanese weren't. This wasn't a prison, it was a warehouse where the extra equipment for the emperor was stored. There was no reason for these men to be here. Unless it was a trap.

She cursed and pulled the Guren back, quickly turning on her radio. "Knightmare pilots are prisoners. I repeat, Knightmare pilots are prisoners."

There was silence following her call, Kallen biting her lip as she tried to form another argument. She was sure that they would have just taken her word.

Then Tohdoh spoke up. "He knows we're here."

Kallen looked up at the sky, halfway expecting to see a white Knightmare come speeding down towards them. If the emperor expected them, then his knight would be on them. "What do we do?"

"We get the shuttles and retreat." There were protests from Ohgi and Cornelia, Kallen leaning forward as Tohdoh ignored them. "Lelouch is giving us this victory and refusing to fight. The prisoners can't pilot the Knightmares and the soldiers are more focused on running away. If he doesn't allow us a victory, then the people won't rise up."

"He's defeating us but not fighting?" Kallen muttered the words. That was just like Lelouch. "I'll give the men their orders. We'll parade these out of-"

"No." Cornelia spoke up. "Lelouch will be waiting for us if we do that. Let's just collect our prize and return to base. There's nothing else we can do. Kallen."

She found herself nodding, turning the Guren to face the line of Knightmares that were waiting for an order. Her finger hovered over the speaker button before she pressed it, none of the pilots would be happy about what had been decided. "Use your designated escape route, Lelouch isn't fighting back."

"Not fighting back? The coward!"

Kallen took a moment to recognize the voice. "Tamaki, that's an order."

"I came to fight, and I won't be told what to do. If the emperor doesn't want to fight us here, then let's bring the fight to him."

The Knightmares broke out of formation quickly, Kallen shaking her head as she watched. They had planned this and she had missed it completely. From the shouts from Cornelia and Tohdoh, they hadn't expected this either.

"Tamaki!" There was no reply from the pilot, Kallen shaking her head and turning back towards the tunnels. There was probably a way to come out in front of them and make sure they couldn't go any further. It was her job to keep the pilots in line, and she had failed at that.

Kallen pulled the Guren to a stop as Cornelia rushed in front of her, Kallen staring at the princess' Knightmare. "You follow after them."

"Why? I should stop them."

"It's too late. Those idiots are going to start a war."

"We can't handle a war yet."

"Then make sure they all get out of there safely. And try to do some damage."

Kallen nodded, smiling at the allowance that Cornelia had given her. Despite the fact that they would be overwhelmingly outnumbered, she had just gotten permission to attack the emperor head on, which was better than skulking around on raids. She was sure that Tohdoh and Ohgi would come to support them, even if it was just to destroy all they could before retreating. That was something.

She turned the Guren towards the street, watching as the first of the shuttles took off, a smile on her face. They would do some damage and get the shuttles that they would need for the next battle. This was certainly better than their original plan, and much better than just sitting around and waiting for Schneizel to live up to his promises.

Kallen guided the Guren out onto the street, quickly locating the group that Tamaki was leading toward the administrative building. She glanced at her remaining operation time. They might be able to do this, the emperor had been expecting them to just raid that one place and maybe a few others, but not a frontal assault. She grinned and leaned over the controls, this would be one battle that Japan would never forget.

* * *

"I don't think you should be here, your majesty." Suzaku turned to look over his shoulder, pulling his glove on.

He was hoping that Lelouch would at least look worried or like he was actually listening to Suzaku. But that might have been too much to hope for. Lelouch just looked bored, the emperor leaning up against the wall of the locker room.

Suzaku hesitated, wiggling his fingers in the glove before sighing and reaching down for the other one. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Of course I do."

"Then that's all the more reason to get back inside where it is safe. Nunnally could-"

"Nunnally is in good hands." Suzaku saw Lelouch twitch a bit when he said that. It was taking effort for Lelouch to distance himself from Nunnally. "Gino and Anya are both on guard today and I have alerted Jeremiah about the situation."

Suzaku hesitated. He was truly out of his depth now. In the history that he had learned the Knights of the Round hadn't rebelled when Lelouch had eliminated the nobility. There was plenty of evidence that they hated the law, but they had all remained loyal. Suzaku guessed that they had actually rebelled this time because he was there, an Eleven in a spot reserved for the Britannian nobility and an obvious favorite of the emperor. That was enough incentive for anyone. But, without the Knights of the Round, Suzaku didn't know how history would go from here.

Before, the Rounds had served by Lelouch loyally until the battle in late August, the last battle that Lelouch would face. Then again, the JLF had been all but destroyed and Cornelia had been captured during their first attack on Tokyo, they had never gotten a chance for a second attack. Lelouch and the remains of the JLF had clashed at Mt. Fuji, and Lelouch had utterly destroyed the JLF with the Rounds on his side.

Suzaku closed his eyes. Lelouch hadn't even needed to clean up, he had turned the JLF's weapons against them and they had all surrendered. Then there had been the month where Lelouch had worked his way through his prisoners, executing them. Suzaku didn't know if Lelouch had planned his actions out the same way, but he was sure that the goal was the same. Lelouch's goal couldn't have changed at all just because he was here.

But everything else had.

He opened his eyes as he felt Lelouch take his hand, surprised when the emperor adjusted his glove. Lelouch wasn't meeting his gaze, just fixing little pieces of his flight suit. The emperor seemed to be paying special attention to the places where it was padded out a bit. "I know what today is, Suzaku, and I know that they will probably attack today. It's a stupid and brilliant tactical move; the people will support them no matter if they win or lose. For us, it's just a matter of figuring out when and where they will attack. That is easy enough, we just wait for them to move. No reason to be nervous."

"That doesn't exactly help."

"Hm, I suppose it wouldn't in your position." Lelouch smiled, taking a step back from Suzaku and looking him over. "But I hope it's enough to assure you that I know what I'm doing."

"Something like that." Suzaku offered Lelouch a lopsided smile, jumping as he heard the sounds of shouts coming from outside of the dressing room.

He ignored the smirk that Lelouch shot him, surprised when Lelouch suddenly pulled him close. Suzaku stared at Lelouch in shock as the emperor kissed him, Lelouch taking a small step back. "Make me proud, my knight."

Suzaku was still recovering from his shock when the door to the dressing room was opened, Lelouch already a few steps back from him. But they were still close, close enough for some doubt to be put into the minds of the soldiers, Suzaku could see it when they looked at him. Still, they recovered quickly. "Your majesty, enemy Knightmares just appeared."

"Really?"

The soldier didn't seem to pick up on Lelouch's obvious amusement with this new development. "Yes, your highness. They're attacking the warehouse where the extra shuttles are kept at the moment, but a group of them have split off and are coming towards us at speed."

Lelouch nodded, glancing over at Suzaku. "You know your orders, my knight."

"Yes, my lord." The reply came easily, as did the bow. Suzaku glanced up to see Lelouch smirking, deciding to ignore the expression as he stood up and walked over to where the Lancelot Albion waited for him.

Cecile and Lloyd were hovering by the computers, Lloyd shifting from foot to foot. Cecile was probably the only reason he wasn't bouncing up and down with joy. His precious Knightmare Frame was about to be tested in battle for the first time. All it took was one look at Cecile to realize that she wasn't as happy. She was probably remembering the last time they had sent Suzaku into battle.

He made sure to smile at her as he climbed the steps, accepting the incom and the key to the Lancelot from her. Suzaku was surprised when she let her hand linger on his wrist for a moment before allowing him to go.

He swallowed and settled the incom into place. He would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he was nervous. He was nervous, both from fear and anticipation. Suzaku didn't want to be brought back to the hangar on a stretcher or by a badly damaged Knightmare, but he couldn't help the excitement that came from piloting the machine. It was one thing to just stare at Knightmares and be afraid of them, it was another thing entirely to be able to control them.

Suzaku slipped into the seat, pressing the button that would slide him into the cockpit. He tensed as he heard a crackle of static from the incom, pressing one hand against the device as he automatically went through the start up procedures. "This is Suzaku Kururugi."

"I know who it is." Suzaku smiled at the annoyance in Lelouch's voice. "I wouldn't call anyone else."

Suzaku chuckled, watching the screens in front of him boot up. "Just following protocol, my lord."

"Drop it, it's a private channel."

Suzaku nodded, not surprised to see that Lelouch hadn't bothered to get visual along with the audio. For one thing, it would reveal too much to Suzaku, and Lelouch preferred to keep his emotions and reasons for acting to himself. For another, it was easier to have a private talk through audio, the only way to send a visual feed to the Lancelot was out in the open.

He leaned forward, aware of the quick moment of complaint from his side. It had taken a while, but he was used to the slumped forward position that he used to pilot the Lancelot and he was back in fighting shape. Suzaku glanced up at the screen, smiling at the confirmation that he was clear to go, carefully guiding the Lancelot away from the scaffolding. Another time they would have already brought the Knightmare outside, but this attack had come as a 'surprise'.

"I don't care about the Knightmare, Suzaku. But you come back in one piece."

"Worried about me?" The question was worth the sputter he got out of Lelouch, Suzaku chuckling to himself. "Lelouch, I have no intention of getting hurt again."

"You had no intention the first time."

"I know. But I am your knight, Lelouch. I'll never fail you." Suzaku forced himself not to stumble over the lie. "I'll come back."

"Come back victorious then."

"What?" Suzaku laughed. "You want me to do both?"

"Insubordination, my knight?" He heard the amusement in Lelouch's tone, smiling to himself as he pulled out onto a clear space. From here, he could already see the rest of the army getting ready, but he was the first one out, as always.

"Lelouch, what are you going to do?"

"I'll join you in a few moments. If the king doesn't lead how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" The line went dead after that, Suzaku rolling his eyes. So he would have to defend Lelouch and fight back the attackers. He could do that much, or so he hoped.

The first thing he would have to do was get off the ground. If he struck quickly from above, he could eliminate a good number of Knightmares before he was forced to be extremely careful. Better yet, it would reduce the danger to Lelouch so his focus could be on the attacking Knightmares rather than the danger to the emperor.

It was surprisingly easy to get the Lancelot off the ground, the amount of time that he had to spend gathering speed cut in half by the lighter design. Suzaku smiled to himself, snapping open the wings and activating the float system. His ascent was much swifter too, very different from the simulations that they had been running. He glanced over at his operation time, surprised that it had barely wavered. So Lloyd had fixed the problem of power as well.

Suzaku nodded to himself, glancing down at the screen that displayed his enemies and coming up with a plan. They would be coming at the building from the front drive, the one approach that was mostly clear. It would be easy to attack from above there.

He turned the Lancelot, banking over the open street. He could see the Knightmares coming, still a good distance away. But the army still hadn't gathered together, he could see them grouped together around the administrative building. Lelouch was probably giving orders and arranging his troops to his liking. That surprised Suzaku, since the last time Lelouch had let him face an enemy on his own, he had gotten horribly injured. Suzaku shook his head to clear it, pulling out his VARIS.

He took a moment to plot his route before swooping down, twisting the Lancelot during the dive. Suzaku fired at the leading Knightmares, mostly hitting the legs or the waist of the machines. There were a few that exploded immediately, although most just wobbled before falling over. Suzaku smiled, pulling up into the air as he watched the Knightmares stop their advance to moving around the blockage in the street.

The confusion didn't last long, Suzaku having to pull the Lancelot further away as the Knightmares on the street fired Slash Harkens up at him. Suzaku winced as he heard one of the weapons hit the Lancelot before sliding off, retreating further, just out of range for them. He shifted in his seat, aiming the Lancelot at the fastest moving Knightmares. For now, he would just hold off the Knightmares, something he could do. But it would be a slaughter.

That thought made Suzaku stop. He knew he had to kill some people, just because it was the way of war, but he didn't want to slaughter people. He would rather disable Knightmares than kill people, although they wouldn't give him the same courtesy. He would be attacked as soon as he went down there, but he couldn't stand to just remain above them and kill them from there. It wasn't because he thought that he needed to be fair, war wasn't fair. It was because they were Japanese like him, and they just didn't understand.

Suzaku swallowed and let the Lancelot drop down to the street level, folding the Lancelot's wings and deactivating the float system. He kept the VARIS out, rubbing his thumbs over the buttons that would activate the Blaze Luminous System. He could depend on the shields to keep out the bullets, but they wouldn't protect him if they weren't up or if that red Knightmare charged him.

Either way, Lelouch was going to be angry with him for doing this.

He pressed the button, watching as the green shields sprung to life, watching as the bullets pinged off of it. Suzaku glanced down, searching for his reinforcements. As far as he could tell, there had been no Knightmares sent after him, Suzaku frowning at that. Lelouch wouldn't have just left him out here on his own.

Suzaku glanced up towards the top of the screen, getting a split second glimpse of something moving there before he had to move. He ducked to one side as one of the Knightmares finally charged him. Suzaku turned the Lancelot, protecting the VARIS with the Lancelot as he aimed a Slash Harken at the Knightmare, the weapon plunging into the attacking Knightmare. Suzaku smiled when he saw the pilot eject, turning his attention to the rest of the Knightmares.

He tipped his head to the side, quickly making a decision. The VARIS wouldn't be useful here, the MVS swords would be better for cutting through the Knightmares. Suzaku nodded to himself, quickly switching his weapon and charging into the group of Knightmares.

It was easy to fall into the pattern of battle, looking between his screen to see what Knightmares were in his blind spot and his next attacker. This part was the simple part, at least for him. He couldn't manage the strategy before the battle, he couldn't think ahead far enough ahead to be of use there. But in battle he could actually see what was going on, he could make decisions based on actions instead of guesses.

He glanced down at the screen again, double checking his blind spot. Suzaku blinked at the sight of Lelouch's forces at the top and bottom, the little dots blinking as they moved. That what had taken Lelouch so long, he had to sneak his troops around the back of the Black Knights. And the larger group with Suzaku seemingly at the head had attacked from the front, just as the Black Knights had expected.

Suzaku laughed, blocking a Slash Harken with his shield. He heard the incom crackle, not bothering to see if the person on the line would come over visual as well as audio.

"You promised to come back in one piece, Suzaku."

"I wouldn't break a promise to you, my lord."

"Then you're just an idiot. What do you think you are doing?"

"I was giving you the time to get out here." Suzaku fired a Slash Harken at a Knightmare. "And I succeeded."

"You should have fired on them from above."

Suzaku cleared his throat, unable to come up with an answer. Lelouch wouldn't like what he had decided and the reasoning behind it. It wasn't enough to be called a traitor, but it was enough to have Lelouch doubting him for a while. And he would never be able to explain completely. "My orders?"

"Remain there. Reinforcements will come in from both sides. Try not to let too many escape."

"Yes, your majesty." Suzaku narrowed his eyes and pushed forward, aiming for the red Knightmare. If he could take that one machine down, then the rest could be taken care of by the rest of Lelouch's troops.

He cut through another Knightmare, smiling as he finally found the red Knightmare, immediately raising an arm to protect himself from a Slash Harken. He glanced at the silver hand of the red Knightmare. That was the main weapon of the red Knightmare, and the most dangerous. Suzaku had seen the hand completely destroy a Knightmare, so he had to avoid being grasped, or at least be able to eject the limb that was in danger.

To his surprise, the red Knightmare didn't charge into an attack as it always did. Suzaku hesitating for a moment before daring at an attack, surprised when the Knightmare retreated again. The pilot had never hesitated before, not when they had the chance to attack. Suzaku tilted his head to the side, realizing what was affecting the pilot. The Black Knights had probably realized that the enemy was behind them as well as in front of them, and now they were panicking. Most of the pilots had to be new recruits then, because only a handful were actually standing to fight, the rest were trying to get away.

Suzaku could hear the explosions from the Knightmares as the Black Knights broke apart, wincing at the sound. The Britannians were making sure that both the Knightmare and pilot were destroyed, something that he wanted to avoid.

He took a deep breath and attacked the red Knightmare again, relieved when the Knightmare responded. This one wasn't going to run, at least not yet. This one was smart enough to know that they couldn't just run yet. Suzaku found himself smiling at that, getting a better grip on the joysticks of the Lancelot. They used to be equally matched, now he had to wonder how the red Knightmare would keep up.

And keep up it did. Suzaku felt his side began to ache from all the jostling that he got as he dodged and lunged forward. He didn't think that he was in danger of breaking those ribs again, his body was just protesting the sudden strain. It was probably stupid to engage this kind of activity so soon instead of working up to it, even with the extra padding in his suit and the chair.

Suzaku gritted his teeth, twisting the Lancelot out of the reach of the red Knightmare's hand. He glanced to the side, surprised to see the Shinkiro hovering just above the battle, the shielding around the Knightmare flashing as the bullets hit it.

He reached up to adjust the incom back into place, about to tell Lelouch to pull back. It was too dangerous for the emperor to be so close without a proper guard. Suzaku cursed under his breath. And Lelouch thought he was the reckless one. At least he risked himself because he was replaceable, Lelouch was not.

"Get back, my lord. It's too dangerous there."

"I'm fine, Suzaku. And you're close enough to get to me if there is any trouble."

"My lord-"

"I have need of your services, my knight." Lelouch was no longer speaking on a private channel, he was broadcasting to the entire battlefield. Suzaku swallowed and backed away from the red Knightmare. He wouldn't ignore Lelouch's order.

"Yes, my lord."

Suzaku worked his way through the Knightmares, watching the frenzy calmly. The younger pilots had already made a break for it while the more experienced pilots were taking advantage of what holes they could find and escaping. Lelouch would be annoyed that they hadn't killed them all, but Suzaku was glad. He didn't want to remember slaughtering his own people.

He had made it part of the way to Lelouch when he realized that the red Knightmare had given up the fight. Suzaku tensed, looking carefully around him before turning the Lancelot around. The red Knightmare was right behind him. Taken by surprise, Suzaku didn't get a chance to block the attack, the red Knightmare not even bothering to use any of its weapons. It just slammed into him.

Suzaku yelped as he was thrown against the side of his seat, partially falling out of it and knocking against the controls. He bit back a shout of pain, fumbling keep the Lancelot from falling over. If the Lancelot hit the ground, then he was done for.

He panted for breath as he finally righted the Knightmare, backing it cautiously towards Lelouch. The red Knightmare wasn't following him, it had used the distraction to get away. It looked like a few of the other Knightmares had used the chance to get away as well, Suzaku to see the dots that represented them retreating through the city. There was no question that Lelouch was going to send others after them to try and finish the Black Knights off in one fell swoop, but Suzaku had a feeling that most of them were going to escape. Lelouch, while eager to finish off this last enemy, was not stupid enough to send his troops into dangerous situations where they would be sure to lose.

In any case, he would remain by Lelouch's side. He was a knight to the emperor, which kept him firmly in place and out of the action. He wondered if Lelouch had promoted him to a personal knight on purpose, or if that had just been one of those lucky guesses.

Suzaku shook his head, turning his attention to the Knightmares in front of him. Most of them were completely wrecked, only useful for scrap material and an extra limb. Most had their ejection blocks gone completely, which meant some people had been able to get away, but not all of them. Suzaku knew he should have felt grief, but he just felt resignation. This killing would stop if the Black Knights just stopped fighting. They should have realized that Lelouch wasn't going after them when they were quiet.

But that was him looking at this from the perspective of someone close to Lelouch and who knew the future. The Black Knights didn't know that they could do anything differently at this point. Suzaku just had to be patient.

He reached around to gently touch his side. There was no lasting pain, something he was glad of. The bruises would probably form tomorrow, but it wasn't broken ribs, that was something to be thankful for. He didn't want to spend another few months stuck in bed. He wasn't sure that his patience, or Lelouch's nerves, would take it.

"Suzaku?"

"I'm fine, my lord, no damage done." Suzaku sighed and shifted, speaking again when he didn't hear Lelouch respond. "I'm fine, Lelouch. With everything you guys have done to this Knightmare, I won't get hurt."

"Don't say that."

"I'm talking about the threat of more coddling. I'm being very careful not get into that position again." Suzaku smirked as he heard Lelouch mutter something to himself before the line went down.

He brushed the hair out of his eyes, surprised that he was already sweating. He though that he had better stamina than this, but it could be blamed on the fact that he was out of shape. That or he wasn't getting as much practice with his Knightmare as before. As Lelouch's personal knight, he was expected to stick close to him instead of joining the teams searching for stragglers, not that Suzaku minded. It would have been a few less lives being attributed to him

But it was boring just to sit with nothing to do. Lelouch didn't seem to be in the mood to talk to him, the emperor probably still mad about his charge into the enemy. Suzaku winced, he would have to find some way to apologize to Lelouch without apologizing for his actions, those he didn't regret. He had time enough to figure out exactly how to do that while forming a report for Lloyd and watching out for Lelouch. Hopefully, Lelouch would get to walk around, because it was starting to feel cramped.

* * *

It had been a close call getting out of there. Kallen adjusted her headband, leaning out of the cockpit to watch as the pilots who had followed her out struggled past. They were all almost completely out of power, running only the communications and weapons systems.

She glanced down at the interior of the Guren, checking to see if anyone had tried to contact them. Cornelia had called her earlier to say that those who had stayed with the with the original plan had gotten away and that she should retreat as soon as possible. By that point, they had been surrounded and trapped. She had no choice but to attack the white Knightmare to keep him from suspecting anything was wrong.

Kallen glanced up as one of the Knightmares stopped, probably out of power. She sighed and pressed her hand against the incom. "Catch a ride."

She watched as the man climbed out of his Knightmare, stepping into the hand of the nearest Knightmare. Kallen glanced at the map that she had been given, guessing at their position and marking it off. If they could, they would come back to retrieve the Knightmare, but she doubted that. But they couldn't risk losing anymore Knightmares, not after what happened.

Kallen gritted her teeth, cursing Tamaki in every way that she knew how to. If he had just waited for Schneizel's troops, for that one final battle, they wouldn't be in this situation. How many people had he killed with his stupid attack? What chances of victory had been taken away from them with this? She would have to talk to Tohdoh about this later. Right now she had to get these people out of here.

She sat up as she heard a faint voice coming over the incom. "Report. Name and number with you."

Kallen hesitated long enough to check if the person calling was from the Black Knights an not from the Britannians. Her shoulders slumped as she recognized the call number. It wasn't Ohgi, but it was someone that she could trust. She pressed a hand against the incom, trying to calm her heartbeat. "This is Kozuki. I have about ten men, but we're strung out at the moment, we took a beating."

"That's to be expected."

"We've lost a Knightmare, and I think we'll lose at least two more before we reach you." Kallen paused. "Where are you anyway?"

"I'll send you our position." Kallen nodded and slid back into the Guren's cockpit, turning on the Knightmare again, starting as a light began blinking on the grid.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that it wasn't far. They might not lose as man Knightmares this way, hopefully.

Kallen took a moment to double check where the Knightmare had lost power. Satisfied, she spoke again. "Position received. We'll be there as soon as possible."

"Right."

She looked back at the line of Knightmares, taking the joysticks and closing the cockpit. She only waited long enough to check that he was broadcasting over an open channel. Hopefully, the Britannians would be too occupied with wrapping up their mistakes or ignore them in retreat. Either way, it was worth the risk. "We're meeting up with another group not far from here. Follow me and keep a lookout for Britannians."

"Energy fillers?"

Kallen shook her head. "I didn't hear anything about that. If you run out, try to get a ride and mark the position."

"Will they actually let us get them back?"

"I don't know anymore." Kallen turned off the communication, staring at the dot on the grid. They wouldn't make it back to base if they didn't get energy fillers, and they wouldn't be able to move the base if they were like this. The urge to strangle Tamaki came back again.

"Kallen? Come in, Kallen."

It took a moment to recognize Ohgi's voice. She found herself responding before she had time to think about it the Britannians were listening. "Ohgi?"

"Thank God. I thought you had died."

"Like I would."

"I hadn't gotten the news. Not after Cornelia sent you after the others."

"I had to make sure that we didn't lose Knightmares." Kallen gave a weak laugh, not sure if Ohgi would believe it. "Don't worry, these men with me are still alive and have their Knightmares. The Britannians didn't force a fight."

There was more to report, but she would wait until she was there in person. They could only trust the open channels so much. She rubbed a hand over her face. "I'll give you a formal report in person."

Ohgi didn't answer, he just closed off the communication, leaving them to focus on their retreat.

To her surprise, nothing happened to them aside from losing another Knightmare, but she had expected that. There had been no pursuit and no troops. The Britannians were letting them get away. That was good, but frightening because it was meant that Lelouch knew exactly how strong they were. And that white Knightmare was still a problem. Kururugi was still a problem.

Kallen clambered out of the cockpit as soon as they stopped, staring at the group of people waiting. There weren't any energy fillers and not as many people as there should be. Had they lost more people? They couldn't afford that.

She spotted Cornelia on the ground, Kallen reaching back inside to turn off the Guren. It looked like they would be stopping here anyway. Kallen pushed away her worried about the Britannians, suddenly exhausted. Her superiors could take care of the men. Right now, she wanted to talk about the raid.

Cornelia turned back to look at her, actually stopping and waiting for her. Kallen stared at that, not used to being singled out as anything but a good pilot. This was the treatment of an equal.

The Britannian princess smiled. "Well, you got a good number of your men out of there."

"What else could I do?"

"Leave them. They broke ranks and disobeyed orders." Kallen stared at Cornelia, the princess seeming to take her stare as approval. "I sent you after them thinking that we could save a few Knightmares."

"A few Knightmares?" Kallen glared at Cornelia, about to speak when someone rushed towards them.

"Tohdoh requests that we stay here until he arrives. He said that he would be bringing supplies." The man gave her a shaky smile. "Apparently he took the time to conduct a raid of his own. We'll be able to get back to base tomorrow."

Kallen nodded, glancing at Cornelia before forcing herself to walk away. It was obvious that Cornelia didn't care about the men. In the absence of Ohgi, that job fell to her, as much as she didn't hated the job. She was the ace pilot of the Black Knights, not a babysitter.

She walked over to where the men had collapsed, none of them far from the Knightmares. They all looked hopefully up at her, probably hoping that they wouldn't be made to move again. She sighed and flopped down in the grass beside them. "Don't worry, we're staying here for the night. Tohdoh is bringing supplies."

"And the other Knightmares?"

"Don't know. I'll have to talk to the others. Maybe when Tohdoh gets back." She stretched before lying back on the grass. "Do me a favor and keep Tamaki away from me. I might kill him."

There were chuckles from the men, Kallen sure that it counted for something. She spared a glance at the Guren before deciding that she could rest. There were enough people to keep watch and they were all close enough to their Knightmares to be safe.

Kallen shut her eyes, trying to keep herself clam, but her mind kept drifting back to what Cornelia had said. Kallen had only been sent after the machines. Knightmares were hard to replace, but they were easier than people. And they were doing this for the people, the same people that had been mistreated by the Britannians. There was no reason that Cornelia could understand that and no reason why Kallen should have forgotten it. But Cornelia had been a part of them for so long, and they had all been fighting against the same person with such a focus. It was only now, then they were openly fighting again, that Kallen found that they were too different.

As soon as they returned, she would speak to Ohgi and Tohdoh to come up with a way to deal with Cornelia. It was only a matter of time before whatever she and Schneizel had planned could be implemented. They were getting rid of one tyrant, they didn't need another.

* * *

Schneizel shook his head. "So, the raid failed?"

"It's what I heard." He watched as Clara gave a partial shrug. "They actually got what they wanted, but they also attacked Lelouch."

His hand tightened on the armrest of the chair, well out of sight. "Was there any explanation for this?"

"The reports are conflicting. I've heard that it was the new pilots and Cornelia said it was her orders."

Schneizel sighed. "We'll wait for better reports, there's nothing else to do. But there is something that is more important. Do you have everything for the F.L.E.I.J.A?"

That made Clara smile, the scientist nodding. "We should be able to equip them to the shuttles and fire from there. If not, they can always be programmed to crash."

"I'd rather not have to do that." Schneizel spared a glance at the notes on the Damocles. It was better than the week before, but it was still weeks behind the original schedule. "If you manage to convince Cornelia not to waste the men on stupid attacks, then tell her that I will join them."

Clara looked nervous. "Can you give a specific date?"

Schneizel shrugged, tapping his fingers against the papers. "End of August. Specifics will come later when I am sure that I'm not just wasting time and money."

With that satisfied, Schneizel encouraged Clara to speak about her daughter, letting her talk while he thought.

He would have to remind Cornelia that this was not a contest between siblings anymore. Under their father, this would have gotten her some respect. To claim a mistake as your own plan and, somehow, make it sound logical showed off intelligence. But if Cornelia just treated the Japanese as cannon fodder then they would lose their chance to take down Lelouch. She would have to wait to try to prove herself to him or try to one up him later.

Schneizel shifted in his seat, smiling. "I'm glad to hear that Nina is adjusting well to Area 11, despite how the people treat the two of you. It would be prudent if we took the two of you out of there before anything bad can happen."

"W-wait. I'm not going to be with your retinue?"

"If you want. I won't stop you from going elsewhere. I doubt that Lloyd will argue with the promise of funding."

"I…I could work with Lloyd Asplund?"

"Of course, if you decide to stay."

Clara began to mumble a reply, stopping suddenly as someone called for her. "Sorry, I have to go. I'll report back when we have more information."

Schneizel inclined his head, the screen flickering off. He waited until he was sure that there was no way that anyone could see or hear him. Then he leaned forward, rubbing his forehead. He had forgotten how stressful it was to be in control, with the constant losses and the incompetence of some people. As soon as he was emperor, he would find a way to streamline this process and keep Cornelia occupied. But that might mean subjugating the areas again, much earlier than he had thought. Or he could sweep up the former Chinese Federation countries. He would decide on that later.

His biggest problem at the moment was the upcoming fight. He would have to plan the battle himself. Cornelia would be put in the frontlines, where she wanted to be, not stuck dealing with the people she hated. In retrospect, he should have done all the planning himself earlier.

Schneizel sat back, settling down to actually read the notes. The sooner they could pinpoint the date that the Damocles would be finished, the sooner they could get this messy affair over with.

* * *

Lelouch looked at where Suzaku was sprawled on the bed, smiling softly to himself. Suzaku had gotten out of that battle alive, which had been his biggest worry. But every addition that they had made had worked and protected Suzaku. Lelouch toyed with the last button on his pajama top, taking deep breaths. They had survived that, despite Suzaku's stupidity.

Lelouch sighed, the sound apparently a signal for Suzaku to speak.

"You managed to predict what they would do?"

Lelouch chuckled. "It was easy. They're too small for a full scale attack, so they would stick to raids. But they made the mistake of attacking on the anniversary of their country's fall. There would be someone who wanted revenge."

"You make it sound so easy when you say it like that."

"It is easy. I've been thinking like this all my life. It's how a prince is supposed to think." He looked over his shoulder at Suzaku. "I wouldn't have been able to take over the empire otherwise."

"I didn't know. I never thought of it like that."

"It's how the Britannians heirs had to think, or they would have been killed. My father didn't like weakness."

"But Nunnally…"

"I protected her." Lelouch sat down on the bed. "She was my only ally and my sister. I couldn't let anything happen to her. It's why I have to do this, otherwise nothing will chance in the empire. It's already rotten and I'm a creation of it. Why shouldn't I let it be dragged down with me?"

Suzaku looked completely shocked, Lelouch waiting for Suzaku to realize what he was talking about.

Instead of the annoyed reply that he expected, Suzaku flipped over onto his stomach. The knight stared at Lelouch. "I think I understand. You don't have to explain to me. I just follow your orders."

Lelouch laughed, shaking his head. "You always manage to completely obey and disobey me at the same time. It's rather frustrating."

"Apologies, my lord." Suzaku bowed his head, but Lelouch could see Suzaku smiling.

Lelouch rolled his eyes and leaned back onto his hands. "I may just have to get used to it then. But I still have the right to yell at you for your stupidity."

"Fair enough." Suzaku kept eye contact with him as the knight rolled onto his back. Suzaku's smile disappeared. "When will they attack again?"

"Not for a while, but we'll be on alert anyway. They can't do much to us as they are."

He watched Suzaku bit his lip, shifting to lean over the knight. Suzaku waited until Lelouch had settled before speaking. "What if they're not alone?"

"They can't get allies from the former nations of the Chinese Federation, they're all too weak."

"What if it isn't them?"

Lelouch stared at Suzaku, trying to see what his knight was getting at. There was no other group who would be willing to help the Black Knights because of their fear of the Britannian empire. All of his enemies had been quiet recently, probably watching for his next move; with the exception of Schneizel. He had been quiet for too long now.

He sat up abruptly. "Schneizel!"

"It might not be him." Suzaku didn't sound too convinced. "We don't have the proof…"

"We don't need proof, it's the only a matter of time before something happens. Schneizel isn't one for remaining hidden." Lelouch pressed his heels of his hands against his eyes. "I should have known better. Schneizel just disappeared and I let him."

He sighed as Suzaku hugged him, leaning back into the embrace. He shut his eyes, letting his head roll so it was resting on Suzaku's shoulder. There was a part of him that needed to worry over this, amazed by the way he was just allowing himself to accept Suzaku's comfort. He had promised himself that he wouldn't treat Suzaku like a favorite, which he had adjusted when he had needed them both to act as emperor and knight. But they were still acting like that in private.

There was nothing wrong with having a favorite, unless he wanted to risk Suzaku. But if Suzaku had agreed wasn't it justified?

He opened his eyes, staring at the door. Suzaku was right in his own way, he wasn't completely helpless. Suzaku could pilot a Knightmare well, and he had a way of just knowing things about battles. He had been quiet lately, but Lelouch was sure that Suzaku knew something about this. It was just like Suzaku to hint at something without actually addressing it directly. Lelouch assumed that it had to do with the thing Suzaku kept promising to tell him, but kept putting off.

Lelouch shifted, reaching up to grasp Suzaku's arm. "You can't tell me if it's true, right?"

Suzaku looked completely miserable as he nodded. "If I could I would, Lelouch. Believe me, I don't want to hurt you."

"You've proven that." Lelouch tipped his head to the side. "So I assume you're part of a secret group or something like that."

"No. I wish it was as cool as that." Suzaku hesitated. "I can tell you, although you probably wouldn't believe me."

Lelouch shook his head. "No. You trust me with your life so I'll let you keep that secret. Just continue to assist me. Now, I am right with my guess of Schneizel because you're trying to make me forget about it. Unfortunately, it may be too late to do anything about it. We'll just have to prepare for a larger addition to the Black Knights when the time comes to fight. We'll have to have people watching the sky for Schneizel."

"You're going to stop him?"

"No." Lelouch felt Suzaku shiver. He turned to face his knight. "This is my one chance to get rid of two enemies at once. If I draw this out any longer, something will go wrong."

That didn't seem to comfort Suzaku, the knight turning away from him. Lelouch sighed and pulled away from Suzaku, finding a comfortable spot on his side. "You trust me with this."

"Trust and worry are two different things."

Lelouch opened his mouth to agree, shutting it quickly. There was nothing to respond with, especially when he felt the same. He wrapped his arms around himself, curling up. He hated being dependent on someone else. Nunnally was easy enough to keep safe, but Suzaku was harder to take care of.

He heard a rustle from behind him, Suzaku's arms slipping around him. He thought that he felt Suzaku kiss the back of his neck, the knight probably trying to apologize for his charge earlier. Suzaku hadn't made his usual apology, they had been too busy with the aftermath of the battle and then Lelouch had been distracted with the realization that Schneizel was involved. Then again, that might have been Suzaku's plan.

Lelouch chuckled and leaned back into Suzaku. "We're going to have to move. The blanket is under us."

"It's warm enough without it."

"Are you implying that you're going to hold me all night?" Lelouch scoffed. "You would like that."

"You're not too into touching, are you?"

"Not if you insist on smothering me every night." He felt Suzaku laugh, but the knight didn't move. Lelouch smiled before wiggling, giving up a few moment later.

For now, he would be fine. Suzaku would roll away in the night, then he would be free, at least until he decided to take advantage of Suzaku's available shoulder. "Clingy."

"You love it. Now sleep, it's late."

"Is that an order, sir knight?"

"And if it is?"

Lelouch sighed. "Then I might listen."

"Good."

He reached up, finding Suzaku's hand and holding it as he closed his eyes.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_August 17, 2018_

Kallen drummed her fingers on her arm, watching the men hurry under cover. She could just make out the glint of the sun off Knightmares, watching the machines move quickly overhead. She knew why she wasn't in the Guren, it was still undergoing minor repairs and improvements under the careful eye of Rakshata.

After making their way back to base in the aftermath of the horrible loss in Tokyo, most of the Knightmares had needed minor work done before they could go back and retrieve those that they had left behind. They had just managed to get the Knightmares that had been left behind, nearly running into the white Knightmare many times, especially the closer they ventured to Tokyo. Once their group had nearly been within touching distance of the Knightmare, all of them hiding in its blind spot as they waited for it to go away. But now, with all of their Knightmares recovered, they weren't going to waste them on this, Tohdoh's orders.

Cornelia was taking this refusal to help the troops that were coming in from Schneizel as a slight. Which it was, she was still being punished for her allowance of the attack on Lelouch. The punishment had just consisted on subtle slights, nothing to offend her too much, but enough to let her know that they weren't too happy with her. Kallen fought to hide a smirk, Cornelia deserved what was happening to her.

She tensed as she heard whispers pass through the group watching out for the soldiers. She got a better grip on her gun, glancing to her side. Ohgi was standing beside her, his binoculars trained on the sky. Kallen waited for him to lower them before speaking. "How many?"

"Just three." Ohgi sighed and shook his head. "Two ex-Rounds and Kururugi."

"They sent the White Death?" Ohgi and Kallen turned to look at the man who had spoken. He have them both a nervous look before ducking his head. "What else could he be?"

"A traitor."

"It was a good trade, his country for this power."

"Shut up!" Kallen snapped at the man, glancing back at Ohgi. "He's still human."

"Not enough for them." Ohgi shrugged. "We know that he's human, but they see nothing but the Knightmare."

"All Knightmares have pilots."

"Yes, but they've heard that he defended the emperor against our Knightmares with only a gun. Or that he fought off the Rounds and lived. It doesn't matter to them if he's human anymore."

Kallen huffed. "Well, he's human enough for me and that's all I need."

"I take it that you're going to focus on him."

"I'm the only one experienced enough. Besides, the Guren is the only one that can match that thing."

Ohgi didn't answer, staring straight ahead. When he raised the binoculars again Kallen knew that the conversation was over.

She sighed and looked back at the troops coming over, wincing at the explosions that appeared in the sky. The three Knightmares were causing enough trouble, but they were still too few. It made her a little glad that Lelouch didn't have as many flight enabled Knightmares than they thought. Then again, Lelouch was probably using this time to gain that advantage. Rakshata certainly was. The Guren was currently one of the Knightmares with a float system that would function, although the mechanics were still working on making sure it sat right on the Knightmare.

Kallen stepped to the side to allow a few men through, pointing her gun up at the Knightmares. She could probably guess which one was Kururugi, but she was out of range. She grumbled and lowered her weapon. Right now, she was only useful for acting as a guard against an enemy that she couldn't defend against. Her presence was apparently important because it showed that the Black Knight's attention was focused on the troops alone and it would keep Lelouch's attention away from the fortress that would be coming later. Personally she thought that it was a useless gesture. If Lelouch had found out about these troops then he would know about the fortress.

The sound of an explosion overhead made her jump. She ducked back, watching the helicopter fall to the ground. Other Black Knights were running out to help the people out, but Kallen looked up to watch the white Knightmare drift away, selecting his next target.

She gritted her teeth. The sooner the traitor died the better; she was getting tired of hearing about the White Death. Kururugi was as human as the rest of them and Lelouch couldn't grant magical powers. Just being intimidated by Kururugi meant that Lelouch was winning without having to fight, and she hated it. "We should be up there."

To her surprise, no one heard her, they were too busy helping the remaining men into cover. She huffed, glancing up. There weren't anymore helicopters to be seen, which meant that the transfer as over or they were just waiting for the Knightmares to leave. That was what they should have done instead of trying to come in anyway. But there many things that they should have done.

"Alright," she turned to look at Ohgi as the man spoke. "Spread the word that we're done for the day. If they come again, they'll radio."

"Will they come with the fortress?"

"Probably not." Ohgi rubbed the back of his neck. "We weren't told when that was coming, to keep it safe."

Kallen nodded and turned to leave, making her way back to their base. One her way, she passed some of Schneizel's troops looking lost. Kallen ignored them, just listening as they fell in behind her. She continued to ignore them as she walked into their base, looking for where the Knightmares were. The troops would be assigned to their spots soon enough and she wanted to see where she could help while they were waiting for that call.

Tohdoh spotted her before she could reach the Knightmares, the old general taking her to one side. "Schneizel told us that he intends to put Cornelia out on the frontlines, in charge of the EU troops instead of ours this time, which leaves a whole squad of Knightmares open."

She didn't know how to react to the news, whether to be happy or to curse. If she was right about what Tohdoh was hinting, then this was a wonderful opportunity for her. It was an official recognition for what she had been doing all of this time. But that meant that all chances of chasing after Kururugi were gone. She clenched hands into fists. This was a direct order that couldn't be disobeyed. She would just have to figure out a way to lure the white Knightmare to her.

Kallen forced herself to nod, about to walk off towards the Knightmares, but an expectant look from Tohdoh had her trailing after him. Of course she would have to meet the group she was in charge of now.

She was led to one of the houses, Tohdoh gesturing for her to go in. Kallen glanced back at him before stepping into the house.

To her disappointment, her command was made almost entirely of new pilots. It would be impossible to seek out Kururugi and keep them in line. She sighed and crossed her arms, feeling her gun knock against her side. That got the men's attention, all of the men staring at her.

Kallen noticed Tamaki standing in a corner, muttering a curse under her breath before addressing them. "I'll need reports on what Knightmares have float systems. If yours already has a system waiting for it, help others assemble theirs. If we want to stand a chance of wining then we need to be able to match the Britannians. Now go."

The men scrambled to their feet and rushed out, Kallen stepping to the side to get out of their way. She frowned when she saw Tamaki walking out with them. She had managed to avoid him thus far, but it appeared that she would have to talk to him now. Kallen snapped her fingers. "Tamaki, stay here."

He let out an annoyed sigh and stepped to stand by the wall, glaring at her.

Kallen glared back. "I want a promise that you won't do the same stupid stunt again."

Tamaki snorted. "You're making me a coward."

"Why not? You're already a murderer."

"This is war."

"Yes." Kallen took a step forward. "And this will be our last chance to get Lelouch. If we lose this, we're all dead. A stupid stunt will get us there sooner."

"We have to show the emperor our spirit. That will send him running."

Kallen groaned, shaking her head. "If you're caught, I'm not coming after you."

"No, you'll be going after the white Knightmare." Tamaki grinned at her. "And you're talking to me about stupid stunts."

She remained in her place, making Tamaki walk around her to leave. She smiled to herself before turning to follow. Tamaki wasn't dealt with, but she could at least count on him to draw the white Knightmare. Tamaki wouldn't be able to resist the glory that would come with taking down Lelouch's personal knight and, when he failed, she would step in to finish the traitor off.

* * *

Nunnally looked up as she heard Lelouch put his tea cup down. She glanced at him before leaning to one side to see who was coming. Her mouth dropped open in surprise as she saw Gino, Anya and Suzaku walk up. She felt her hands shake as she saw that they were all still in their flight suits, still sweaty from piloting their Knightmares.

Lelouch had told her that he had needed Gino and Anya for the day, but she had assumed that Lloyd wanted them to test the improvements to their Knightmares. But it looked like they had been sent into battle.

She bit her lip, watching Suzaku carefully. Despite what had happened the last time Suzaku had been in battle, Lelouch had sent him out. He had just sent Suzaku out without even worrying about him, she had not noticed her brother acting preoccupied the entire time she had been with him. She thought that they were together. Wouldn't Lelouch worry about him if Suzaku was fighting?

Nunnally tried to collect herself as the three knights come up and bowed. Lelouch let them remain there for a moment before motioning for them to stand up. Nunnally watched in confusion as Gino and Anya dropped back a pace, belatedly remembering that Suzaku outranked them as the emperor's personal knight.

Lelouch dismissed Jeremiah with a wave of his hand, Nunnally watching him go. She wanted to ask her brother a question, but she knew it would be better if she just listened before speaking up. She carefully put down her tea cup, watching as Lelouch took up and walked over to Suzaku.

Nunnally was shocked that Lelouch reached out to touch Suzaku gently, brushing his fingers over the knight's cheek. "Your report, my knight?"

"We managed to take down most of the helicopters. We aimed for the ones filled with men first but we split up to get some of those with weapons. A few got through though. Gino estimates that the men that managed to get past us will just raise their numbers to what they had when they were still called the JLF."

"You did far better than I thought you would, especially with so few Knightmares." Lelouch glanced at Gino and Anya. "How did the improvements work?"

"Good."

Gino was more verbose with his response. "The Tristan is considerably faster and Lloyd managed to minimize the lag time between transformations. As a Knightmare, the float system works better than the jet engine itself. Go ahead and put it on the other Knightmares, it's worth it."

Lelouch nodded. "I'll send the news to Lloyd."

Gino grinned, winking at Nunnally as he was dismissed. She assumed that he would be back at her side by dinner. She felt herself relax at that, she had always felt safer with Gino and Anya around.

She turned her attention to Suzaku as the other two left. Nunnally smiled as him as Lelouch pulled him over to the table. She noticed that their hands lingered close for a moment before Suzaku accepted Lelouch's offer of a drink.

"And the Lancelot?"

"Still good." Suzaku took a sip of the tea, making a face. "If anything it's faster. I didn't notice that before."

"I expected that. Your mind was on other things at the time." Lelouch looked over the rim of his tea cup. "But I'm glad that I have no complaints. With the Black Knights gathering troops, it's only fair that we prepare ourselves as well."

Nunnally's eyes widened. She glanced over at Suzaku, the knight meeting her gaze. He gave her an apologetic look. Suzaku cleared his throat, turning his attention quickly back to Lelouch. "We were picking up messages on the way back that others were coming."

"So Schneizel is still trying to outsmart me."

"Your orders?"

"We'll let this one slip through. If they fell safe, they'll send more men That's when we'll attack."

Suzaku inclined his head, Nunnally felling her stomach roll. It sounded like they were planning to repel an invasion. And that scared her. If Lelouch was planning this, he would have told her or started trying to get her away. She swallowed and shifted in her seat. She was sure that he was just pretending to be a tyrant and to ignore her in public, they had been too close for too long for her just to doubt him suddenly. But this was making her begin to rethink that. What if Lelouch wasn't acting?

It would explain why he had stuck with her for so long, he had just been trying to use the sympathies of the others and maybe to use her as bait. But he hadn't used Euphy for the same reason, or that was what he had told her. She wasn't sure if what he had said was true. She had never been able to tell when he was lying to her before, but she knew that he had gotten into the habit.

Nunnally gripped the table cloth, looking up at her brother and his knight as they talked in low voices. She had stopped paying attention at the mention of the upcoming invasion. She didn't want to be used as a political tool, shuttled between the two sides. To avoid that, she would have to ask to leave, but she wasn't sure that Lelouch would allow her. After all, hadn't he promised her that she wouldn't be used?

"I'll meet you later tonight, my lord." Suzaku stood up and bowed to the two of them before walking off, Jeremiah returning a moment later.

Nunnally felt herself relax as the older knight came back. It was no surprise that she trusted Jeremiah more than Suzaku, the one person outside of their family that Lelouch had allowed himself to trust. But she had known Jeremiah for longer, and Suzaku was very close to Lelouch and whatever he was planning.

She shifted nervously in wheelchair, glancing up at her brother. She swallowed before forcing herself to talk. Even if he lied to her, she needed to hear what was happening. "Schneizel is attacking us?"

Lelouch glanced up in surprise, nodding a moment later. "He's allied himself with the Black Knights to attempt to take the throne and save you."

"Do I need saving?" She managed to surprise Lelouch again. "Are you just keeping me around for bait?"

He looked away from her, turning his tea cup in its saucer. "I promised never to lie to you, Nunnally."

"And how do I believe that?"

"Because I'm trying to make them believe that I don't care about you. If they can't use you then they won't try to get you and you'll be safe."

"By putting you and Suzaku in danger?"

"He can handle it." Lelouch said nothing about himself.

"And I can't?"

Lelouch stared at her before looking away. "I can't lose you, Nunnally. I didn't do all of this just to lose you."

Nunnally was about to react when she realized what her brother was really saying. He still cared for her, but he was doing to her what he had always done to others. If there was danger to them, he would hold them close while appearing to push them away. Lelouch had lost too many people to actually be able to push them away from him, but he could fake not caring about them.

Even with this reassurance, Nunnally could still see that she was valued more that Suzaku. He had never talked about his knight like this. If it came to a choice between the two of them, she would win.

Nunnally found herself smiling. Lelouch still cared about her, but he was focused on winning this war. Once again, she was taking up all of his attention.

She shook her head and reached out to rest her hand over Lelouch's. "I think I understand now. But you have to tell me things. If we're together in this, then I don't want to be left out."

Lelouch looked down at their hands and shook his head. "I will talk about the next stage of the plan and no more. You should be more worried about you."

She laughed. "Only if you only worry about yourself."

Lelouch smiled. "I don't think I can do that."

"Then it's decided." Nunnally tipped her head to the side. "I thought that you would have been less stressed with Suzaku around."

His eyes widened and he blushed, Nunnally laughing at his frightened expression. "Is it that obvious?"

"To me at least."

Lelouch sighed. "We don't talk about that. We focus on what to do next. And it's just temporary."

Nunnally stared at her brother. Suzaku being around was only temporary? The two of them together was only for the moment? She knew Lelouch well enough to know that he wasn't using Suzaku, Lelouch couldn't do that. And she had spoken to Suzaku, and he wasn't using Lelouch. So it had to be an agreement between the two of them, which was equally as bad. Lelouch would go back to being completely focused on his work and she would have to watch him stop being happy.

She licked her lips. "Temporary? But he's your knight."

He looked around before lowering his voice. "Suzaku has business elsewhere. I won't stop him from leaving, it's his decision."

Nunnally could tell that he was trying to hide how he really felt about this. She frowned. "Has he promised to visit?"

"I've asked, but he avoids the question."

"Then let me ask him. I'm sure that I'll get an answer out of him. Don't worry, I won't let him slip away, for your sake." Lelouch's blush deepened, Nunnally laughing. "You deserve to have a little happiness after everything."

"As do you."

"I'm just happy to be with you, Lelouch. I don't want anything else."

Lelouch shook his head, coming around to kneel next to her. "Surely there's something else you want?"

"Nope." Nunnally placed her hand on Lelouch's head. "Just you. I think that I can fit Suzaku in there as well."

"Thank you, Nunnally." Lelouch kissed the back of her hand. He glanced at the table with regret, slowly getting to his feet. "I have to go now."

"Alright, remember your promise."

"I will. As soon as we seen the outcome of this." He walked away, Nunnally watching him disappear from her line of sight.

She sighed and leaned back in her wheelchair, closing her eyes for a moment. It was a relief to be on the same page as Lelouch. He was still keeping things from her, but now he was going to talk to her about it without prompting. It was getting better.

Lelouch wouldn't be left alone without someone to talk to. She knew that she didn't have the mind for politics, but she could still listen. And she would do anything to keep her brother from getting into the state of mind where he couldn't think at all. She had only seen him have one of his panic attacks once, and it had frightened her and she could tell that it frightened him too.

She opened her eyes as Jeremiah came around to her side. "Will you be returning inside, Lady Nunnally?"

"I want to stay out here a little longer. I have a feeling that I may be stuck inside soon." She saw Jeremiah nod. Nunnally sighed and tipped her head back to look up at the sky.

In a few days the skies might be filled with Knightmares in explosions. In a few days she would be hiding from the war. Nunnally sighed. Hopefully Lelouch would finish this soon, and without too much bloodshed.

* * *

 _August 20, 2018_

The control room was silent, all of the people standing at their stations with hands resting on panels, ready to send the Damocles back to the mainland as soon as the call came in. People watched for movement in the sea below them and on the screens.

Everyone jumped at the sound of static over the radio, the operator scrambling to accept the call.

"All clear, Damocles. All clear."

The crew looked back at Schneizel, the prince smiling and standing up. "Received. Coming in."

Schneizel ignored the cheers from the crew, settling back in his seat. He had been briefly worried that Lelouch would send Knightmares after the Damocles as well. Lelouch had seemed to be testing out his Knightmares on their troops while the Black Knights were grounded. It was too late to wonder how Lelouch had gotten the information. It was time to wonder why Lelouch hadn't attacked them immediately instead of focusing on cutting down the troops as they came over.

He was allowing the Damocles in now, when most of them thought that the white Knightmare would come to meet them. The others were glad about Kururugi's absence, but Schneizel was worried about the fact that Kururugi wasn't here. Lelouch was inviting them in, which meant that Lelouch had something up his sleeve. But he couldn't possibly know about the F.L.E.I.J.A.

Schneizel tapped his fingers against his armrest. It was too late to worry about all of that, there was only the battle ahead and the many meetings that would come before it. And, surprisingly, he was looking forward to it. This battle would be a single extermination of a nuisance and a bit of revenge.

"Prince Schneizel!" He looked up as his name was called, looking out through the window at Area 11. He only allowed himself a moment to look at the sight, turning his attention to the man, motioning for him to continue. "We have a call from the Black Knights."

"Play it."

The man scurried off, Schneizel staring ahead again.

"Damocles, we've got signs of the white Knightmare. It's on patrol, you might just miss it."

"Or we might meet him. Do you have anything to help defend us?"

"I was told that you have defense capabilities."

"We do, but that would give away our position."

There was grumbling from the Black Knight. "We'll have a Knightmare ready to act as a distraction."

"Good." The communication was cut off, Schneizel sighing in relief. Now Lelouch seemed interested.

He rubbed his forehead, glancing at the people who were looking back at him. He raised his head. "Have the shields put up and ready the defenses."

He didn't move from his position. Lelouch was finally acting as he normally did when going into battle, watching them instead of ignoring them. Now they were really playing. He leaned forward, nodding slowly to himself.

Thankfully, they managed to get past the white Knightmare without a problem. Schneizel watched as the dot that represented the Knightmare disappeared, passing just close enough for the crew to worry. But they were out of range, the Knightmare already turned towards Tokyo. It was probably running low on energy or had completed its orders. In any case it hadn't seen them.

He smiled to himself as the Damocles descended to the ground. He had managed to keep the Damocles and the F.L.E.I.J.A. a secret, which was more than enough to beat Lelouch. After all, his little brother hadn't been too nice to his subjects lately, so the sudden swell in numbers of the Black Knights would probably encourage Lelouch's soldiers to retreat sooner or desert. Either outcome was welcome.

Schneizel stood up and made his way to the exit, listening to the sounds of the crew working to set the fortress down safely. He would leave them to their jobs and start on his own. The leaders of the Black Knights were more important than the fortress at the moment. The Damocles was functional if not comfortable. The leaders decided on whether or not he was going to help them. If the latter was the case, then he would have to gather his troops into the Damocles and leave before he was shot down or before Lelouch decided to run another sweep of the area.

He stepped out of the fortress, stepping to one side to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness and to prevent himself from becoming a target. In the darkness he could just barely see the people on the ground, watching the end of the guns catch the moonlight, marking where the guards were.

Schneizel raised an eyebrow as Cornelia walked over to meet him, carefully schooling his face into a neutral expression. He offered his arm to her, escorting her back across the space. When Cornelia cleared her throat, he tipped his head to the side, listening to her while keeping his eyes on the Black Knights ahead of him.

"They've been acting like barbarians the past few days. I've been trying to make them see sense."

"I think that it is deserved." Cornelia glared at him. Schneizel smiled at patted her hand. "You took the blame for that attack, and even encouraged it if the reports are right. They've done nothing but lost over the past year, morale is down and you've proven yourself to be less than sympathetic to their cause. You acted like a conquering Britannian."

"How else was I supposed to act?"

"Like one of them, anything to keep them on your side. You can act like this is part of Britannia again later."

She huffed, Schneizel pleased that she didn't argue with him. Cornelia had been making a nuisance of herself lately, but not enough of one to make the Black Knights turn her out, something that he was glad for. Still, they had accepted his suggestion that she should lead one of the groups made of his own troops, because she knew how to handle them better. He was sure that they had used the chance to promote some of their better pilots to take care of their own squads, which was fine with him. By having commanders that knew the men, they would be able to take initiative on the battlefield.

He let go of his half sister's arm when they got closer to the leaders of the Black Knights. Schneizel looked over all of them, noticing that only two met his gaze, the rest looked away with frowns. So his presence among them was still unwelcome. That just showed that those men were idiots, still hoping that the Japanese could solve this problem on their own after their streak of failures. It was far past the time for them to be attempting to take Lelouch on their own, instead their only hope was to band together, before Lelouch managed to subjugate most of the world.

Schneizel glanced back at the Damocles, shifting so he was standing to the side. For now, he didn't want to be confrontational, that would come later. "As I promised, a weapon to bring Lelouch to his knees and a fortress to back it up."

"It's late."

He shrugged. "There's only so much I can to without turning out something that won't work. This will work. Load the F.L.E.I.J.A in and we can threaten the entire city of Tokyo."

There were panicked looks from the Black Knights. So Clara had told them what the F.L.E.I.J.A. could do. He had counted on her doing that, but he thought that she would have held the information only to what was important for the group to know, not the amount of destruction that it would cause. But she had always been a sensitive woman, which was good for his uses. She wouldn't step beyond her moral code and Schneizel wouldn't push her. There were other scientists that he could trust to make weapons that would cause ten times the devastation that the F.L.E.I.J.A. did.

Schneizel cleared his throat. "I have no intention of firing on Tokyo. We show Lelouch what the F.L.E.I.J.A. can do in battle. If we lose and are forced to retreat, it is a simple matter to fly the Damocles over Tokyo and threaten it with a F.L.E.I.J.A. If we have to destroy the city, we will give a time frame to allow people to escape."

The leaders weren't happy with the plan, but they would accept it. The alternative was to give up, and they had come too far to do that. Eventually they would all agree with him that a city was worth the freedom they would gain, but that could wait until after they confronted Lelouch.

He watched as the guards retreated, guessing that they would be heading back to the base. Schneizel lingered behind, watching a few of the leaders stay with him while the others started walking off. He would speak to them further about his plan there, but he knew that Lelouch couldn't hear them out here, so it was safer to reveal certain parts of his plan here.

"Do we have a date?"

"The twenty-ninth." The man who spoke up appeared to be the one in charge over all, Schneizel making a note that he had to get this man's name. "A few of the former Chinese Federation countries have offered a few Knightmares and supplies. They'll all be in by then."

"And then we'll try to draw Lelouch away from Tokyo?"

The man nodded. "We were thinking of a place far enough away from people so that the F.L.E.I.J.A could be used without too much damage to the population. Mt. Fuji was offered."

"Then we'll go there. We can crash his Knightmares into the mountain if we have to." Schneizel smiled, surprised that the man looked disgusted at his suggestion. The man might have been the leader of the Black Knights, but he had no stomach for such tactics. And still he was out here, leading a resistance movement and fighting for his country. It was a pity he was Japanese, he would have gone far as a Britannian.

The man made a sloppy gesture for Schneizel to go first, Schneizel smiling and taking Cornelia's arm again. He would keep Cornelia close over the next few days, just to keep her out of trouble and to gain the trust of the Black Knights. If he could manage that before the battle, then everything would be perfect. But he doubted that it would go as smoothly as he thought it would. It was Lelouch they were up against.

* * *

Lelouch woke up as the heard the door to his room open, looking up to watch as the shadow walked over to one side. He heard the soft sound of a zipper, Lelouch lying still and listening to the rustle of fabric. He smiled to himself and flipped over, anticipating when the covers would be pushed aside and Suzaku would climb into bed with him.

He scooted over a fraction, watching as Suzaku slipped into the bed. He managed to wait until Suzaku was settled before scooting over and pressing close. Lelouch felt Suzaku shudder, smirking to himself as he drummed his fingers against Suzaku's shoulder. "Report."

"I feel like I should be standing for this."

Lelouch snorted and draped a leg over Suzaku's. "You're not moving."

"Alright." Suzaku shifted, wrapping his arm around Lelouch's shoulders. "Report in bed, while cuddling. I've done stranger things."

"Like what?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

Lelouch hummed, resting his forehead against Suzaku's chest as he waited for the knight to report. He didn't have to wait long for Suzaku to sigh, a sign that he was giving in.

"I did as you said, I let the Black Knights pick up the Lancelot and let that thing go right past. But I did manage to get some information on it, not as much as I wanted to. I had to stay far enough away so it looked like they got past me."

"And?"

"It's a fortress, that's the only way I can describe it. It flies, so it must have a float system. I guess that it has a shielding system like the Lancelot because I saw something shimmer around it when they first noticed me. It might have defenses of its own if the Black Knights didn't send a Knightmare to distract me, but it would have to lower the shields to use them."

"So, Schneizel risked his life for a fortress."

"It looks impressive. And it can probably rise higher in the air than a Knightmare."

Lelouch tensed. "A bomb."

"Hm?"

"Why else would Schneizel create something that is good for protection only?"

"It could act as a prison."

"Later." Lelouch leaned back so he could attempt to look Suzaku in the eyes. "But what about now? What could he use it for now? He could launch Knightmares off of it to have them gain height immediately and strike off our forces getting off the ground."

"Then we use the transports to counteract that."

"Yes." Lelouch waved his hand, trying to get Suzaku to focus on the problem again. "That's not enough justification for building a flying fortress. Building one to fit weapons to it is. But the Black Knights already have a Knightmare with a Radiant Wave Surger, and that's more efficient in Knightmares rather than a fortress. The Hadron Canon system is still weak, the Shinkiro is the only Knightmare that has it, and it takes up most of the energy filler to fire a few shots. So it's a bomb."

He felt Suzaku's hand tighten on his shoulders, allowing himself to be drawn back to the knight. "We'll manage, Lelouch."

"I'm sure we will."

"And we'll win."

Lelouch chuckled. "I'm impressed by your optimism."

"It isn't optimism. It's the truth."

* * *

 _August 29, 2018_

"I thought you would be here." Cornelia turned around at the sound of Schneizel's voice. She watched her half brother amble towards her, seemingly blind to the men that were rushing around, loading up the shuttles they had taken from Lelouch and doing final checks on the Knightmares. Schneizel just smiled at her, stopping beside her and looking up at the Knightmare she had been assigned. "A Burai? I thought that you would be piloting your old Knightmare."

Cornelia winced at the memory of her Knightmare. "I couldn't. It was too distinctive and the energy filler would have died anyway. It was easier just to ditch it and run."

"I see." Schneizel tipped his head back, looking at the sky. "We can always build a new one."

"Are you going to build me a new set of Glaston Knights too?"

Schneizel gave her a sideways glance, slowly shaking his head. "That was out of line."

"You would think so." Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Are you letting those Ele-Japanese think for you now?"

"Only on the surface." He sighed when she just glared at him. "Cornelia, we need to get these people to trust us no matter what. If being friendly to them will do that, than I am prepared to do so. A few more months and then we'll be ready to restart the empire and I'll be counting on you to do that."

"Me?"

"Yes. With you on the battlefield no one will challenge Britannia again and all of this can be written off as a fluke."

Cornelia thought it over, wanting to curse her own stupidity. She had gotten caught up in it all, in the seemingly endless spiral of losses they had been suffering through and she had acted before she had the time to think. She hadn't made a mistake like that in a long while. Cornelia pushed her hair out of her face, swallowing. It had been a long time since she had suffered a string of losses like that too. It was a good lesson, she wasn't always victorious, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't try to be.

She cleared her throat, staring up at the Burai, a fond smile on her face. It wasn't the best Knightmare, but she had grown attached to it and it had served her well. After all of this she would request to take it with her, or just sneak it out. A month of work would have it almost back in peak condition. Two or three months would have it upgraded to the newest technology and almost equal to the Knightmares on the field now. She would keep this Knightmare as long as possible, and then retire it to Britannia.

It sounded foolish, even to her, but she wanted to remember the Knightmare that she had killed Lelouch with.

She looked back over at Schneizel. "What are you orders?"

"For the Black Knights as a whole, we will begin to move as soon as everything is in order. While we are moving towards the battle, we'll have the chosen team draw Lelouch in. From there, we try to get to Lelouch." He paused, glancing around before lowering his voice. "Specifically for you, try to draw Lelouch's knight to the red Knightmare, its pilot has a grudge that she wants settled. That should leave Lelouch open for you."

"You're willing to let me kill him?"

"No." Schneizel gave her a stern look. "I want you to capture him. We will speak to him before publically executing him. That is, of course, after we get Nunnally away. We can't upset her."

Cornelia nodded, not really paying attention to the last thing that Schneizel had said. They weren't going to kill Lelouch on the battlefield, which wasn't too disappointing. She wanted to punish him for all of their siblings that he had killed and an execution was the right way to do it. But she wanted his last moments to stick, at least for Lelouch.

She tipped her head to the side, smiling slowly. "We'll have to tell Kallen to save Lelouch's knight."

Schneizel gave her a confused look. Cornelia nodded slowly, lowering her voice as she explained. "His knight has part of the blame for his crimes. Execute the knight before the emperor, make him watch."

"Is his knight that important?"

"We had rumors that Lelouch's silence for those three months was because his knight was injured. Would Lelouch do that for anyone?" Schneizel shook his head, Cornelia nodding. "So, we make him watch as we kill the person that he values. What better way to get revenge for Euphy, Guilford and Kanon? We can even delay for a few hours or a day so he has to live with it."

To her surprise, Schneizel nodded. "A bit of revenge won't hurt at that stage." He sobered a moment later. "And we have a plan in case we lose."

"We won't lose."

"I don't have your confidence, sister. Besides, it's my job to plan for everything." He glanced around the group before gesturing off in one direction. "There are five men who the Black Knights and I have chosen who will leave when the battle is won on Lelouch's side. They will hide and wait for the perfect time to take out Lelouch. We won't know when it is, but they all have orders to act before the leaders are executed."

"And their names?"

"They'll only be known by numbers." Schneizel gave her a wry smile. "In the confusion of the emperor dying, no one will remember what the assassins look like. And, once the Number system is restored, no one will know who killed him. They'll just think that citizens of those areas had worked together."

Cornelia nodded. "Well prepared."

"We have to be for this."

They both looked over their shoulder as an order was passed by shouts. Cornelia winced, glancing back at her Knightmare. "We're ready to go."

"Then I should go join the crew of the Damocles. Take care sister."

"You too."

She watched him walk away, Cornelia sighing and walking to where the tow rope dangled from her Knightmare. There was a part of her that was glad that Schneizel had everything figured out, but she didn't like that he was prepared for them to lose. If they wanted to win, the thought of losing could never enter their minds. She pushed her foot into the stirrup, looking over the people rushing around as she rose up to the pilot's seat.

The first order of business was to contact Kallen and tell her the new orders, and she could see the pilot slipping into the red Knightmare across the clearing. Cornelia fumbled for the button, sighing when she slid into the cockpit. Here she could relax, she knew where everything was and that it was working perfectly. She could depend on her Knightmare.

Cornelia turned on the machine, immediately contacting Kallen and waiting for the pilot to pick up the call. She smiled when Kallen answered quickly. "New orders from Schneizel."

"And?"

The girl sounded cautious, Cornelia biting her lip to keep from groaning in annoyance. "Keep the white Knightmare's pilot alive."

"Kururugi? Why?"

"So we can have Lelouch watch him die."

Kallen scoffed. "Why bother?"

"Because that man killed my sister! And I want to watch him die!" Cornelia hated herself for losing control, but at least she sounded convincing.

Kallen remained silent for a while. "Fine. I'll try. But don't expect him in pristine condition."

"I don't. Just alive." Cornelia switched to the open channel they would use for communications, watching the grid as her squad gathered around her. Not all of them were there, but most of them would catch up on the short flight to Mt. Fuji.

She ran a quick pre-flight check, settling back in her seat when she was satisfied. Now that everything was taken care of, she could be perfectly calm. Until they faced Lelouch on the battlefield, there was nothing to get excited about. It was a waste of her energy anyway, and she needed every bit of it for this.

Cornelia's attention was jerked away from the grid as the orders came over the open channel. "Damocles lifting off. Avoid it on ascent, then gather around it."

Some pilots replied, others focused on the take off. Because of the size of the clearing, they were arranged in groups, Cornelia patiently waiting her turn until she could rush down the clearing and take to the sky.

Her take off went without a hitch, Cornelia glancing back down to see the transport trucks already heading out. They would carry spare parts and energy fillers as well as any injured that they could find. The dead had a truck of their own. It was all perfectly organized, just what she expected from Schneizel.

She turned her attention to flying the Knightmare, watching as her squad formed up around her. It was almost like the Glaston Knights, but she didn't know these men as well. With her Glaston Knights, she would only have to give them orders, they would react perfectly otherwise. Now, she would have to continually give orders to keep these men where she wanted them. But it was good practice for when she had to start again, she wasn't going back out to the battlefield without a group around her, she missed the safety and the camaraderie.

Her hand tightened on the joysticks. But that's what this was about, paying Lelouch back for everyone he had taken for them. And she was going to enjoy every minute.


	25. Chapter 25

** Chapter Twenty-Five **

_August 29, 2018_

Suzaku bought the Lancelot up beside the Shinkiro, watching Lelouch carefully. Of course the emperor would chose to address his troops in the most dangerous way possible. And it was his job to make sure that they didn't lose their leader before the battle. He swallowed and glanced at the far off dots that marked where the Black Knights were, feeling his hands shake. It was really happening now.

His attention was brought back to the emperor. Suzaku shifted in his seat, watching as the cockpit of the Shinkiro opened, Lelouch standing up and bracing himself so he could remain there. Suzaku tensed, ready to send the Lancelot forward if he needed to.

"Today, the war that my siblings foolishly forced the world into for four years will come to an end. They have been fighting for a throne that is already occupied and for a world that already had peace. To further their own ends, they have encouraged rebellion in the Areas, on the cusp of the peace that we all wanted. They showed the world that the noble classes of Britannia wanted nothing more than to continue to seek profit instead of seeking a stable future for all.

"Today the war continues and today the war ends. I will not allow them to fight against Britannia. I have proven once that there is no country stronger and it will be proven again. All of Britannia's enemies will be obliterated."

Suzaku shook his head as he heard the cheering start. To him the speech sounded horrible, just lies spouted so that the people would support Lelouch. But that was probably why Lelouch had chosen it in the first place. His popularity with the people was low, low enough to make Lelouch smile in private because his plan was working. But it was enough for them now, the hope that Lelouch had been doing everything just to get rid of his siblings. They would be disappointed when Lelouch won.

Because Lelouch was going to win, Suzaku would make sure of that.

He knew the basic battle plan, Suzaku hoped that it was enough. There was no reason for Schneizel to change his plans to fight Lelouch, but Suzaku had changed history enough for Euphemia to become a larger player in events and for the Knights of the Round to rebel. With that Lelouch was weaker than before, but he also still had the advantage. Schneizel's forces were halved from what Suzaku had learned in school, which would give Lelouch the advantage. And the most advanced Knightmares were on their side as well, instead of being evenly distributed. It seemed like Lelouch had the advantage.

Suzaku had been in too many battles to just believe that they would win because of their advantage. Mistakes could be made or the weather could turn against them. There were a hundred things that could go wrong, and that was making his stomach churn. He was regretting eating that morning.

He looked up as Lelouch slipped back into the cockpit. He waited until the cockpit had closed again before relaxing. Lelouch was safe for now, and he could relax until the troops got closer. Suzaku looked up and winced, they were closer now.

He licked his lips and leaned forward, clenching and unclenching his fists. Before now, battles had been easy because they had been small and quick. This would last, he knew that. Lelouch had been talking about this like it was the last battle that they would ever fight and he knew that this was the decisive point. Some part of him wished that he was far away from here, maybe guarding Nunnally in wherever Lelouch had hidden her. But if he had done that and Lelouch had died, he would have never forgiven himself. His place was by his emperor.

Suzaku took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He just had to stay alive for this day, this one battle and then everything would be perfect.

Except he had to let his boyfriend die.

Suzaku jerked back at the thought, staring in front of him without really seeing anything. Boyfriend was a term that suggested that there was some permanence, that there was a point to seeing it through, that there was a future to it. And lover was just as bad. There was no word that he wanted to use to describe Lelouch, because it would hurt too much later.

He shook his head, concentrating on the forces that were lining up in front of him, narrowing his eyes. There were more Knightmares in the air than he expected, Suzaku glancing between the view of the Black Knights and his grid. Their number was still above the Black Knights, but Suzaku was still uneasy.

The Black Knights had the Damocles and the F.L.E.I.J.A. He had only managed to tell Lelouch about the Damocles, he couldn't quite figure out to tell Lelouch about the weapon. The emperor believed that he knew about battles before hand, but Suzaku wasn't about to stretch that belief to talk about something that wasn't already hinted at. It was easier for him to pass off being able to guess how a battle would go by looking at the area than warning Lelouch about a weapon that they hadn't heard of yet.

He stared at the fortress looming on the horizon, tuning out the shouts over the radio. In that fortress was a bomb powerful enough to destroy whole armies, and he knew the daughter of the woman who had invented it. He knew that Nina's mother was driven to suicide after seeing the destruction that the F.L.E.I.J.A. caused on the battlefield, but that wouldn't be for a few more years.

For a moment, he was tempted to try and stop it from happening. He had changed so much already and he had already failed Shirley by letting her father die to protect the emperor. He could at least help one of his friends if it would make her life better. But the problem was that he didn't even know where to start.

With Shirley it would have been easy, he had to just find where her father had been on that day and make sure that he stayed out of danger and then keep Lelouch safe. It was a simple enough plan now, but then it had been beyond him.

With Nina it would be impossible because he didn't know a point where he could interfere. He supposed that he could convince Lelouch to give Nina's mother a safe place to be. Beyond that, he didn't know. He sighed, letting his head hang down. That was another friend failed.

Suzaku swallowed and looked back up, staring at the Damocles. If he couldn't help Nina, the he could help end this battle faster. The Damocles would be their main target, they had to get there before it started firing F.L.E.I.. Stuck at a disadvantage like this, Schneizel would probably stick to the plan that Suzaku knew; to maneuver Lelouch into position and then start firing F.L.E.I.J.A Suzaku sucked in a quick breath, his hand hovering over the button that would switch him over to a private channel that was only for him and Lelouch, but he pulled his hand away. He couldn't warn Lelouch about this.

"Suzaku." He jumped at the sound of his name, taking a few shaky breaths before responding.

"Here."

"Move to the frontline." Suzaku stared at the screen, finding himself nodding.

"Yes, my lord."

"And I want you back in one piece." Lelouch muttered the words, making Suzaku smile. "I don't want to have to wait for you again."

"Understood. Be careful yourself, this is going to get bad."

"Is this you guessing or one of those knowing things?"

Suzaku stared out at the battlefield, watching as the Black Knights began to stretch into a crescent shape. They were trying to spread out and surround them, taking care of the main force in the air before turning their attention to the machines on the ground that were aimed at the Knightmares. It was the same strategy from when Suzaku had been taught about this battle. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "It's one of my knowing things."

"I see."

"Just do whatever you planned. It'll work. I'll make it work." Suzaku moved the Lancelot to the frontline as ordered, scanning over the other Knightmares.

The easiest one to find was the red one. He narrowed his eyes, staring at it before turning back to the Damocles. He would move on Lelouch's orders, but he hoped that Lelouch wouldn't order him far from his side.

Suzaku allowed himself to just watch the shifting of the forces, stopping himself from trying to remember the battle diagrams that had been in his history textbooks. There was no telling at which point Lelouch could decide to attack or one of them would make a mistake. There was no point in trying to remember what would happen from a history that didn't even exist anymore. He bit his lip, shifting in his seat.

Then he saw it, Suzaku turning his head in time to see the flash from the muzzle of a gun on the ground. He cursed and dodged to the side, a few of the other Knightmares following him. Most weren't so lucky, the Knightmares exploding as they were hit. Suzaku watched them fall to the ground, panting for breath. That could have been him, he hadn't even been paying attention to what the ground forces were doing and he was willing to bet that Lelouch had too.

He got a better grip on the joysticks, darting to one side as another round went up into the air, blasting away the remaining Knightmares that surrounded him. He bit back a curse, twisting in his seat to see if he was the only one getting this treatment.

To his surprise, Gino and Anya were being harried from the ground too, the two knights seeking to fly above the range of those on the ground. Suzaku watched as they twisted through the Knightmares already on the field, moving to avoid Lelouch's shifts in the line as he tried to outmaneuver Schneizel. Lelouch would have to attack soon, or Schneizel would just launch a F.L.E.I.J.A. They were almost in the position to do so.

Suzaku was just about to radio that warning when he saw a group break from the left wing, heading straight towards the group of Knightmares to his left. He turned slightly, ready to help reinforce the line, only to have Schneizel suddenly send his forces forward.

At first, it just looked like a mad rush, squads of Knightmares flying around each other and heading off in different directions. Suzaku watched them go, his heart beating faster. This wasn't the formation that he remembered for school. He could see the formation that he had learned just behind the darting Knightmare squads, just as he remembered it if abbreviated. But that meant that Schneizel was deviating from what Suzaku knew, and it scared him.

"Suzaku!"

He jumped at the sound of his name, looking up to see a Knightmare diving for him. He hesitated for a moment before dodging to the side. Suzaku abandoned his place in the formation to rise into the air, shocked to find that other Knightmares were coming out of their wild flying to try and target them.

Suzaku focused on avoiding them, the other Knightmares at too close a range to make the VARIS or the MVS swords an option, which left him with his Slash Harkens and the Blaze Luminous shield. He gritted his teeth, activating the shield before plunging into battle. He couldn't dodge forever, and the fastest way back to the formation, back to Lelouch, was to push his way through.

The Knightmares fell easily, all of the pilots too new or too used to ground combat. Suzaku had more experience fighting in the air and a better float system, one that he could use as a weapon as well. He backed off the bunch that had been trying to get him, sending power to the float system and watching as the wings shed energy at the Knightmares. He used the smoke from the explosions as a screen, slipping through it and heading back to his own lines, only to be brought up short.

Suzaku tried to back up, stopping when he realized that he was surrounded. He fumbled for the speaker button, pressing it. "Gino? Anya? Are you available for backup?"

"I'm in the same position as you." Gino's voice was strained, Suzaku leaning forward to try and get a glimpse of the Tristan. "Right above you, Suzaku, you can't see me."

"Anya?"

"No, they've got her too. They've got the Mordred in a tight spot."

Suzaku jumped as he heard one of the weapons ping off the Lancelot's armor. He cursed and raised the Blaze Luminous shield again, but there was only so much area he could protect. "They did this on purpose. We can't help." Suzaku paused to try and duck around an attack, wincing when he felt one of the Lancelot's arms resist. They must have gotten a Slash Harken on him. "We need to get back to Lelouch."

"I hear and obey."

"Help Anya when you get out." Suzaku didn't want for an answer, drawing his MVS sword and slashing at the nearest enemy. Those that he didn't hit fell back, giving him the time to turn and cut through the wire that had wrapped around the Lancelot's arm. Suzaku completely the stroke, managing to cut into the float system of one Knightmare before backing away, making sure that he was heading towards Lelouch's line. A glance at the grid showed that Gino was making his way over to Anya, which meant that the three knights were taken care of.

He looked up in time to see the red Knightmare heading straight for him, other Knightmares arranged in a circle around him. Suzaku reacted without thinking, reaching forward and shutting off the float system entirely.

He plummeted through their circle, quickly turning on the float system again, glad that the wing structures hadn't gotten a chance to retract. If that had happened, then he would have been dead.

Suzaku grunted as the Lancelot jerked, the Knightmare slowly rising into the air again. He pressed a hand to his side as soon as he was sure that the Lancelot was stable. That had hurt. Suzaku was sure that nothing had broken, but his whole body ached from the rough jerk that had sent him to the side.

"Suzaku? Suzaku? God damn it, answer me!"

He smiled at the sound of Lelouch's voice, carefully sitting upright and steering the Lancelot back towards his side of the field. "Yes, your majesty?"

He heard Lelouch sigh from the other end. "You…you idiot. What were you thinking?"

"That I had to get away."

"So you just…and you…You could have died!"

It was probably a warning of how angry Lelouch was that he couldn't complete a sentence, but Suzaku was still too giddy from surviving his stupid move to care. "I didn't though."

"Suzaku, back here. Now."

He obeyed the order automatically, returning to his customary place by Lelouch's side. From there, he could see the battlefield for what it really was, not just the groups who had tried to attack the former Knights of the Round.

While he, Gino and Anya had managed to escape from that trap, others hadn't been so lucky. Suzaku could see the explosions and faintly hear the sounds of Knightmares slamming against each other over the Yggdrasil Drive. But those groups were small and far above the battlefield, only coming level with the rest of the Knightmares to bait their next target. The main forces were pushing against each other and it appeared that they were losing.

Suzaku shivered, feeling the first pricks of real fear since he had stepped into the Lancelot earlier that morning. If they lost, he didn't know what would happen to him. He knew that he would be killed, there was no way that they could let him survive, especially with him being so loyal to Lelouch; it was just a matter of whether he would be imprisoned first. But they would definitely kill Lelouch, and he couldn't let that happen. Killing Lelouch would mean the death of the world as he knew it. But he was only one person, and he couldn't turn the tide of battle. At the moment, he could barely think beyond the two options that waited for him if he was captured.

"Do you see it?"

Suzaku jumped at the sound of Lelouch's voice, shaking his head and focusing on the battle again. "See what?"

"The opening I made."

He scanned the battlefield, only then noticing that Lelouch had pushed his own flanks outward, at the risk of exposing his centerline. But that had forced Schneizel to do the same to avoid being surrounded. And, with the squads that were baiting the Knightmares, it had left an avenue right up the center. It was still guarded, but the ranks were thin compared to those on the side. "Yes. Right up the center?"

"Right up the center." He could almost picture Lelouch nodding. "Gino and Anya have their orders. Are you ready to follow me, my knight?"

Suzaku smiled, setting back into position. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

She had been so close. Just a few seconds more and he could have been hers. Kallen muttered a curse as she swung the Guren around to counter the white Knightmare, only to find the machine too far below her and heading back for his own side of the field. Kallen slammed her fist against the controls. "Coward!"

No wonder he had betrayed his country. At the first sign of danger he went running for cover. Kallen gritted her teeth, feeling her hands shake. That's why she had to get rid of him. It was people like Kururugi that had made Japan into this, a subservient nation to Britannia. It was for people that Kururugi that her brother had fought and died, and they didn't even care.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, trying to stop her trembling. She couldn't lose sight of the goal here. It was her job to keep her squad in line and to keep them attacking the newer models of Knightmares. Even the newest pilots could lure a Knightmare into a place where it could be surrounded. And it had almost worked with the former Knights of the Round. They would have to let them go for now, wait until their support had nearly disappeared. Or wait for the first F.L.E.I.J.A.

Kallen glanced to the side, watching as the Damocles continued to slowly move through their ranks. Tohdoh had said that Schneizel would warn them when the F.L.E.I.J.As were fired, but she couldn't quite bring herself to trust the Britannian prince. He had appeared and planned this whole attack so neatly that she was suspicious. If Schneizel could do this in a few weeks, why hadn't he attacked Lelouch immediately?

But that wasn't her main problem at the moment. She had to focus on their next target, and possibly lure Kururugi back into battle. If they could take him out… Kallen frowned as she remembered her orders. They weren't allowed to kill the traitor, they had to take him alive if possible. She didn't agree with what she had been told, it would be too dangerous to keep the two of them alive for any longer than they had to, but she couldn't argue with her superiors. At least not yet.

She sighed, checking to make sure that her squad was following her orders before turning to pick out their next target. Then she saw it.

The Knightmares of the emperor and his personal knight moved from their place in line, crossing right under them. Kallen turned the Guren so she could see where they were going, her eyes widening as she stared at the Damocles. The structure was too huge for two Knightmares to attack, but there were people in there that could be threatened and, even worse, F.L.E.I. She was not naïve enough to think that they could continue the battle after the blow of losing Schneizel, even if they were competent enough to plan their own battle. But the loss of the F.L.E.I.J.A would be worse, their weapon could be turned on their own people.

Kallen slammed her hand down on the communications button, hearing a protest from the Guren. She ignored it. "Lelouch and Kururugi are heading for the Damocles!"

"Remain at your post." Kallen started at the quick response from one of the Black Knight commanders. "They won't get too far."

"This is Lelouch we're talking about!"

"It's the two of them against our entire army! The odds are that they'll both die. Besides, aren't you the one who's always telling us that Kururugi is just a man."

Kallen shook her head. "You don't understand."

"But I do." She looked up as she heard Cornelia's voice, surprised that the call was visual as well as audio. Kallen blinked stupidly up at the Britannian princess as Cornelia stared back at her. "You have new orders. Take your squad and go after Lelouch. Do all you can to protect the Damocles."

Kallen nodded, relaying the orders to the rest of her command as she turned to locate the emperor and his knight. "New orders. We're going after Lelouch and Kururugi."

There were celebratory cheers from the pilots, Kallen narrowing her eyes as she watched the two Knightmares below them. Of course they would be excited, this was the promise of more glory than a whole battle spend baiting Knightmares. At least they were easily distracted, they could handle Lelouch while she went after Suzaku. If they managed to split the knight from his emperor, then it would be easy to take down Lelouch.

She sent the Guren into a dive, watching the rest of her command try to beat her down. They all wanted to have the first hit, but their float systems were older models. Not that the Guren's was much better, Kallen could hear the high pitched whine that it made from the cockpit, the sound making her wince. Her Knightmare just had to hold through this battle and then it would be all over.

Kallen adjusted the angle of her descent to ease the strain on the Guren's float system, leveling out above the two Knightmares. There was no way to tell if she was in their blind spot, but she was sure that it wouldn't matter. The Shinkiro had been a prototype when Lelouch had stolen it, it just had the defense systems and a few weapons systems. From what she had seen of the Knightmare while the emperor was in battle, he hadn't added anything. But even then she wasn't sure about that, but she couldn't risk flying above them without one of them seeing her. She took a deep breath and leaned forward, coaxing the Guren into another dive.

She had barely started her attack when something slammed into her, the Guren managing one rotation before Kallen brought the machine back under control. She glanced up, cursing when she realized that she had been followed and that the other Knightmare had used the trick that she was going to use. And now it was blocking her from getting to Kururugi.

Kallen glared at the Knightmare, not recognizing it from the other battle she had been in. But it was a Britannian Knightmare, and that's all she needed to know. "Get out of my way!"

To her surprise, the pilot did just that, letting her dive a few more feet before knocking into her again.

She grunted as she was thrown around in the cockpit, falling out of her position. But she managed to right herself and the Knightmare. Kallen glanced down at the two Knightmares that she was supposed to be taking care of, not surprised to see that her squad had gone on without her. They were attempting to attack both Lelouch and Kururugi at the same time, and failing miserably. Lelouch had the Absolute Defense Shield to keep him safe, which left his knight to take out the Knightmares.

Kallen shook her head, turning her attention back to the other Knightmare. It obviously wasn't going to let her pass, but it seemed to be comfortable about getting into close range. And she had the Radiant Wave Surger for that.

She smiled as she turned the Guren to dive again, prepared for the attack of the other Knightmare. When it came at her again, Kallen turned the Guren, grabbing onto the nearest limb of the Knightmare and turning on the Radiant Wave Surger. As expected, the pilot did nothing for the first few moments. And by then it was too late.

Kallen watched as the metal that made up the Knightmare bubbled and caved, the disruption working its way up the Knightmare's arm before the pilot finally reacted and detached the limb. Kallen let go and lunged for the next one. She briefly got a grip on it before the Knightmare was pulling away.

To her amazement she heard laughter, belatedly realizing that the pilot had turned on his speakers. "That's amazing. I never thought that they would have a pilot this good. And you really are that good."

Kallen didn't even know how to respond, watching as the Knightmare floated in front of her. Now would be the best time to attack while her enemy stupidly complimented her on her skills. But what if it was just a bluff? There was no time to find out.

She lunged forward again, disappointed when the Knightmare ducked to avoid her. "Hey, Suzaku. I've got a good one for you."

Kallen turned to look down at the white Knightmare, seeing Kururugi pause before going back to work defending the emperor. His answer was obvious, he was too busy to take care of someone like her. But she could change that.

The other pilot was too distracted to react in time. By the time she had gone into a dive, he was just turning his Knightmare to follow. Unfortunately, Kururugi was prepared for her.

The white Knightmare turned to meet her dive, one of his swords raised to block the Guren's hand. Kallen scowled, but activated the Radiant Wave Surger anyway. To her delight, the sword's surface began to bubble and it quickly exploded, Kururugi left holding the hilt.

He backed away from her, Kallen following only to notice that she had allowed the unknown Britannian to slip through, and he was now guarding Lelouch. She rolled her eyes and concentrated on the Knightmare in front of her. Those two wouldn't make it far, and she doubted Lelouch would go anywhere without his precious knight.

She ducked a blow from a Slash Harken, grabbing the wire and pulling the white Knightmare close to her. She landed a solid kick on the Knightmare, watching as the metal on the chest crumpled. So it wasn't as indestructible as everyone said, not that she had believed the rumors for a second.

Much to her disappointment, Kururugi seemed content to leave it at that. He made a half hearted attempt to charge at her before backing away, probably trying to get back to Lelouch. Kallen gritted her teeth, keeping close to him. She was too close to use the Radiant Wave Surger, but she was too angry to care.

"What are you his dog?" The white Knightmare shook under the force of her blow, another section of armor crumpling. "Do you have to go running to his side?"

"It's a matter of duty."

"Duty to what?" Kallen was jostled as she slammed against the white Knightmare. "To a man who's been using us? To your country?"

"To the future." The reply came without hesitation, Kallen looking up to stare at the Knightmare in front of her.

"Lelouch won't give us a future. He only offers slavery!"

"You're wrong."

"Then fight back!" She was tired of him retreating, tired of him not trying to fight her. If she was going to be the one that was going to drag the traitor in front of Schneizel, she wanted the thrill of victory to go with it. She wanted to be able to be the one who had faced the White Death of Britannia in battle and had defeated him. "Fight back if it means anything to you! It's worthless if you don't."

That seemed to get his attention.

The white Knightmare slowed its retreat until it was just hovering in the air, Kallen giving Kururugi the chance to think it over. No matter what his answer was, she was going to attack. Even if she couldn't get the satisfaction of knowing that she was better through this test, Kururugi deserved what was coming for him.

To her relief, the white Knightmare attacked.

* * *

Lelouch was surprised that it was the Tristan rather than the Lancelot that few up alongside him and helped to push through the one section of the Damocles that was not shielded. He wanted Suzaku alongside of him because the Lancelot was the stronger Knightmare at the moment, and he wasn't sure how far around the shields on the Damocles extended. Luckily enough for them, there was enough of an opening off to one side and it wasn't very well guarded.

Still, the fact that there was an opening there was enough to justify the time it took to attack it. The rest of the fortress was covered with a shield, and they had yet to lower it for any reason. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, looking the Damocles over.

From far away it had looked impressive, but it looked less so now. Lelouch guessed that Schneizel had to hurry the last few days of production. There were places on the fortress that didn't seem stable or the work looked partially finished. Lelouch was sure that the fortress would still work, at least the offensive and defensive systems would work. Schneizel wouldn't leave without those working and he was probably planning to fix the smaller flaws later.

Lelouch nodded to himself, pressing the button that would allow the keyboards to slide out. He would be defending Gino while the knight made a way in for them. He smirked, turning the Shinkiro to face the Knightmares that were gathering together again. "Gino, get us in there."

"Yes, your majesty."

He hesitated for a moment at the familiar command. He had heard Gino say it before, perhaps a thousand times, but he was so used to Suzaku saying those three words that it sounded weird. He shook his head, focusing on his typing so he was able to keep the Absolute Defense shields up. Gino would need them as Schneizel's Knightmares got closer. They always followed the same pattern, shoot from a distance and then revert to physical attacks when they were within range. It would have been a good plan if they were accurate enough to do damage.

Lelouch smirked, leaning over the keyboard. This wasn't a well trained and equipped army, this was just a rag tag group of people, no real match for the Britannian army. But he had to remember that they were desperate and determined, he knew what that could do to people. He had been like that before, when he and Nunnally were stuck in Japan after the invasion and without Daiki to help them and when he had been on the brink of taking over his father's throne. He would have to watch them carefully for any attacks. When people thought they were going to die anyway, they held nothing back.

He gritted his teeth, feeling the Shinkiro shake slightly as a Knightmare plummeted past. But he was in the same position. If Schneizel caught him, then he would be killed and he would have to die anyway in the end. This one battle had to go his way, and he didn't even have Suzaku's assurance that he was right in this, his knight had been silent except for a vague warning to watch out. But for what?

There was a loud pop from behind him, Lelouch turning the Shinkiro slightly so he could see Gino. He was surprised to see that the knight had already managed to clear a path into the Damocles, and without the amount of damage that he had thought it would take. He knew Schneizel wouldn't purposely build anything so badly that it would come apart so easily. It could be a trap, or it could just be Gino working efficiently. Either way, Schneizel wouldn't be expecting him to attempt to take the fortress with only a knight as backup. But it would be simple enough to hold the control room until backup arrived or destroy it completely, because the Damocles would have to be destroyed either way. He would have to leave that to his successor though, it wasn't a job for an emperor who hoped to control the world through fear.

"You majesty?"

Lelouch shook his head, they had been out here too long. He glanced towards where Suzaku was, forcing himself to look away a few seconds later. Suzaku was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. That still didn't get the image of Suzaku being carried from the A.S.E.E.C. hangar, but he couldn't quite shake the image of his mother splayed out over the steps of their villa either. He had to get used to being haunted by those images.

He dove for the hole in the Damocles that Gino had made, quickly opening his private channel to Suzaku. "How long will you be?"

"Lelouch?" There was a grunt from Suzaku's end, Lelouch tensing where he sat. He only relaxed when Suzaku chuckled. "I don't know. This Knightmare is putting up a fight."

"If I call…"

"I'll be there, as soon as I can. Gino will protect you, Lelouch."

"I know."

"Now get going. I'm not holding off the army with what I'm doing."

Lelouch scoffed, shaking his head. "Finish that annoyance off as soon as possible. That's an order."

"Yes, my lord."

He smiled to himself, letting the channel go quiet. He wouldn't shut it off just yet, not unless he had to. There was always a chance that they would need Suzaku there to help them and it would be a waste of time to switch channels. He would just open up another line of communication with Gino. There was a chance that the talking would distract Suzaku, but he trusted his knight to focus his orders.

Lelouch carefully guided the Shinkiro into the Damocles. The Knightmare barely fit into the tight corridor, Lelouch nearly falling forward at the sharp jolt as the Shinkiro hit the ground. He cursed, manipulating the Knightmare until it could move through the corridor.

It had been a smart move to make the corridors too small for Knightmares to get through, but Lelouch was willing to be that the rooms were large enough for the machines. It was a clever trap. The corridors would eventually force the pilots to leave their Knightmares and then they would be gunned down by the Knightmares that were stationed in the larger rooms. Although Lelouch was sure that the trap wasn't set at the moment. Schneizel would have focused on defeating Lelouch before he got to the Damocles because of the fortresses weakness. But he wasn't quite ready to give up the Shinkiro at the moment. Just because all of the Knightmares were deployed in fighting the enemy outside didn't mean that men inside weren't armed.

Lelouch looked around him, biting his lip as he went through his choices. He could take the building one level at a time or head directly for the control room. From the control room they could easily disable the Damocles' defenses and crash the fortress. The destruction of their weapon would be enough to push his forces to victory. But his priority would be to capture Schneizel.

He was not foolish enough to believe that Schneizel was their only leader, but he was the coordinator for this battle. If the Black Knights lost the person giving the orders, then they would fragment and act on their own, which was just the chance he needed. With Schneizel gone, a few of the leaders would rush back to take control of the empty position and he would capture them here.

"Gino, find the control room. Kill those who resist, but leave Schneizel alive."

"Yes, my lord." Gino managed to keep the Tristan in its strange bent position as he moved off, Lelouch watching him go.

Once the signal came through that the way ahead of them was clear, he would follow. But he didn't want to chance anyone slipping through while Gino scouted ahead.

The Damocles rocked suddenly, Lelouch flinching at the sound of metal scraping against metal as one of the Shinkiro's shoulders rubbed against the ceiling. He quickly righted the Knightmare, glancing towards Gino to make sure that the knight was still with him. When he was sure that Gino was safe, Lelouch turned his attention to his communications, reluctantly shutting down the channel to Suzaku to open another private one, this one to the commanders on the ground. "What was that?"

"The fortress launched something, your majesty. It looks like a torpedo."

"A torpedo?"

"Similar to it. It's some kind of weapon and…Move! Move back! How did it-" There was silence for a moment before frantic reports started rolling in, too many for Lelouch to really comprehend.

"Get out of the way!"

"How is it still going?"

"What is this?"

"Shit, we've lost half our left wing!"

"Retreat! Get out of the range."

Lelouch sat and listened to the panicked voices before turning them off altogether. He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling it shake. Suzaku had warned him to be careful, and he was guessing that this was the thing that his knight had warned him about. It was something he had not anticipated or had even considered. He had briefly considered that the Damocles had been built for another weapon, but he had scrapped that idea when he had seen the fortress on the field. He had been convinced by the far off fortress that it would be enough without any other weapon.

He glanced at the grid that displayed his forces, watching the word lost appear rapidly over the dots that were once his Knightmares. Whatever that weapon was, it was strong enough to destroy a good number of his forces in one strike. He didn't know what it was and he didn't know how many Schneizel had at his disposal, which made it that much more dangerous.

The plan to capture the control room still held, although now they would have to work faster, which might involve abandoning the Knightmares. It would be a risk they would have to take, considering the amount of damage that he had briefly glimpsed. It was one thing to look at a screen and watch a bomb take out Knightmares, but it was another thing to witness it. He would have to factor in his own army's willingness to charge the Damocles now, which would delay him even longer.

Lelouch muttered under his breath before getting the Shinkiro to kneel. "Gino, we're getting out."

"Your majesty?"

"We can't move fast enough with these."

"But they'll be destroyed or used against us."

"Take the keys." Lelouch jumped as he heard the cockpit of the Shinkiro knock against the ceiling of the corridor. "They can't guess the pass code. So they'll just be destroyed. But that doesn't matter right now."

"Would I be pushing my luck by asking what does?"

Lelouch smiled, shutting down the Knightmare and scrambling down it. He jumped to the floor, glancing around before pulling out the gun that he kept on his person. Gino would be armed as well, so that gave them a little bit of a chance. As long as they were quiet and didn't walk into a trap they would be fine.

He got a better grip on his gun, walking forward to where Gino waited. He paused a moment, considering Gino's question for the first time before shaking his head. "You wouldn't be. What matters is stopping Schneizel."

"I thought as much." Gino sighed, stretching his arms above his head. The knight relaxed from his stretch, pulling out his gun and jerking his head to the side. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Lelouch bit back a chuckle as Gino walked ahead of him. Only Gino would take boarding an enemy aircraft as something of an annoyance. Still, it was strangely different from his usual cheerful personality.

He sighed, tapping on the incom in his ear just to be sure it was working before following after Gino. He still had to be able to give the order to come and get them if things began to go wrong. And, mostly importantly, Suzaku had to be able to contact him.

He readjusted his grip on the gun before following Gino, already running through possible plans and escape routes for if they failed.

* * *

"You highness, Lelouch has managed to get into the Damocles!"

Schneizel turned around, staring at the picture of the Damocles on the screen. A small section of the fortress was flashing yellow, indicating a breech. He tipped his head to the side, smiling to himself.

It was a bit disappointing that Lelouch had figured out the Damocles' failings so quickly, he had expected at least a half an hour before that happened. But it also left him with no choice but to try to destroy the rest of Lelouch's army. If his brother didn't have the numbers, he wouldn't win. It would also get rid of a few of the Black Knights, a problem that he had resolved to deal with later. But he felt justified in the use of the weapon, the Black Knights had all been warned before hand about what the F.L.E.I.J.A. could do.

Schneizel glanced back at the men waiting for orders. "Fire a F.L.E.I.J.A."

"Inside the Damocles?"

"No, out towards his troops. Let's see if my little brother will get the message." Schneizel stood up out of his chair, glancing around at the people working frantically at the controls.

They couldn't do anything about Lelouch's presence in the Damocles, which was unfortunate. They would have to rely on the guards that were stationed sporadically around the fortress. But the sounds of the battle outside would give Lelouch the advantage. He would just have to evacuate all nonessential personnel. In the long run, even if Lelouch managed to do the impossible and take over the fortress, it would make escaping easier for the rest of them. The Damocles would be useless if all Lelouch got was an empty shell.

Part of the way to the door Schneizel turned back to address the control room. "Continue to hold position here. Keep the shields up until the order comes to fire another F.L.E.I.J.A and call more Knightmares to guard our weak spot."

He walked out of the room before they could ask anymore questions. If it got out that he was evacuating people, then there would be panic. Unnecessary panic. This wasn't an admission of defeat, it was a necessary step.

Schneizel sighed, walking quickly towards where the few people who weren't working directly on the Damocles were kept. There were a few scientists that had demanded to see what their work could do, and he had let them. A few of the leaders from the Black Knights were here as well, although Schneizel didn't see their point. If they had been intelligent in any way, they would have remained at base. They could have escaped that way. Instead they had put themselves in his hands.

He smirked to himself, quickly schooling his face into an expression that was more appropriate for the situation. They had just made his job easier for him. The scientists he would send back through the lines, through their own people, and the leaders he would send forward. The few that were here were useless in any case.

He keyed in the code to get the door to open, stepping in quickly and letting it shut behind him. Schneizel paid no attention to the shocked expression that were being sent his way. He would deal with them later, preferably when Lelouch was safely imprisoned. "We're evacuating you from the Damocles."

"What?"

Schneizel tuned out their protests, finding a chair and sitting down on it. He watched the group carefully, counting off an appropriate amount of time to give them. They couldn't have forever to come to terms with what he had just said, not with Lelouch in the Damocles, but this would give him the time to figure out how many of the stolen shuttles they could use to get the people out. They could probably get away with two, the one with the scientists would be slightly more cramped than the other one.

He held up a hand to stop their shouting, glaring at the few who tried to keep talking. When he was sure that they would keep silent, he leaned back in his chair. "This is for your safety alone. The plan has been changed."

"You launched a F.L.E.I.J.A." Clara spoke up, clutching her daughter close to her. Schneizel turned his head to look at her, nodding slowly. She swallowed, her grip on Nina slipping a fraction. "You said you were going to wait."

"The plan has changed." He repeated himself slowly, pressing the tips of his fingers together. "Lelouch has managed to get into the Damocles. Thankfully he only brought one knight with him. In the even that he does manage to secure this fortress, it would be better if all of you were out of danger."

The scientists nodded immediately, rising to their feet and heading for the door. As expected, the Black Knights decided not to move. Schneizel sighed, staring at the middle of the wall in front of them. He would give them the chance to go, but he wouldn't force them. "It would be best if you left, but I leave that up to you. But, if you do stay, I insist that you arm yourself and prepare to defend this fortress with the rest of us."

"Why? It's only Lelouch and one knight."

Schneizel glanced at the man who had spoken before standing up, gesturing at the windows that were on one wall. "Yes, but that knight isn't Kururugi. It's only a matter of time before Lelouch calls his pet knight in. We have to be ready for that."

He left the room before the Black Knights had time to respond. They had already refused to leave, so they would be issued guns and made to defend the fortress. In the meantime, he could remove the scientists from the battlefield in two shuttles. He was resigned to the fact that he would lose some of them, but he wanted to try and prevent losing all of them. These scientists were the best in their fields, and it would be a shame to have to rebuild his team.

They walked quickly through the corridors of the Damocles, Schneizel leading the way. He could tell the men and women following him were nervous by the way they clumped together and didn't speak. They probably expected Lelouch to appear around any corner, which was probably the correct assumption to be made.

The Damocles was a simple in its layout, even when it was halfway done. The corridor went in a circle on each floor, and the doors only allowed access to a room or a set of stairs. There were elevator shafts, but only portion of them were installed at this point. Still, he was hoping that Lelouch would head up first, thinking that the control room was somewhere in the middle or on the top floor instead of the bottom floor.

Schneizel paused outside of the small room that they were storing the shuttles in. There was no official place to put escape crafts, mostly because they had intended to make the Damocles impregnable. They had included them arbitrarily before, but now Schneizel was glad that they had.

He opened the door and gestured for the scientists inside. This room was the closest thing that they had to a hangar. The door at the end would open to the outside, but it had been made to hold a few Knightmares and as a place to load supplies while the Damocles was in the air. If they had needed a place to launch Knightmares they had the flat top of the fortress.

"Take two shuttles and head behind our lines." He gestured towards two of the shuttles as he focused on the controls that would open the doors. "Slip out through the gap in the shield."

There were a few muttered acknowledgements of the order, most of the scientists filing into one of the two shuttles that had been pointed out. Schneizel glanced up and shook his head. These people weren't made for war, so it was beyond him why they wanted to watch. He was sure that there was a bit of pride in seeing their creations working, but they were still too human beyond that. It wasn't a bad trait, but it had no place on the battlefield.

He looked up as the door opened, the two shuttles already running. They wouldn't go too far, but the shuttles would make it back to the Black Knight's base without a problem. From there, he would have to come up with a new plan.

Schneizel remained in the room long enough to make sure that the shuttles had made it out and to shut the door. He paused at the door leading back into the hall, listening carefully for the sound of running feet. When he was sure it was safe, he slid the door open and started walking quickly back to the control room. He trusted that his staff had managed the Damocles admirably, but he was the one in charge of keeping the army in order.

The floor under his feet shook as another F.L.E.I.J.A. was fired, Schneizel waiting for the tremors to stop before continuing onward. Either the staff in the control room had gotten jumpy or the Britannian army had started to break through the Black Knights. He trusted his staff to make the proper judgments where the F.L.E.I.J.As were concerned in his absence.

Perhaps it was time to alter his strategy now that Lelouch was occupied. Without their leader to coordinate them, the Britannians would begin to panic. It had been one of Lelouch's greater failings to make the Britannian army reliant on him during battles, but it had probably given Lelouch a sense of his power.

Schneizel shook his head, glancing at the door to his right. He had to change the battle plans now, it would make the Britannian generals call Lelouch and distract him.

He stopped at the door to the control room, keying in the code. Schneizel started speaking as soon as he walked into the room, watching as the staff bent over their computers. "Call the baiting squads back. We've caught all the Knightmares we will get. Distribute them over the lines equally to make up for those that are called back to defend our weak point. Then start pressing forward. Have all ground artillery fire at Lelouch's front lines."

"Yes, your highness."

Schneizel watched the dots on the screen rearrange themselves, sighing when his plan went into motion without a hitch. He frowned when he saw one dot that wasn't retreating.

"Guren, fall back as per your orders."

"I'm busy. That damn traitor is still trying to get past me."

Schneizel felt one corner of his mouth twitch up in amusement. So they had left the Guren's pilot out there. He struggled to remember her name, quickly giving up as the woman speaking to the Guren's pilot tried again. "These are orders from Prince Schneizel."

"Let her." He spoke up, watching the woman turn around to stare at him. Schneizel tipped his head to the side. "She's a step ahead of us. My next order was to seek out Lelouch's personal knight and keep him occupied. She's doing quite a good job and can remain there as long as possible. Just give her the orders that she is not to endanger herself."

"Your highness?"

"We'll need her by the Damocles if Lelouch tried to escape. Pass the order on; destroy Lelouch's knight quickly and then return." Schneizel allowed the woman to relay his words to the Guren's pilot, waiting until she was done before speaking again. "Give her advanced warnings about the F.L.E.I.J.As She might be able to push Lelouch's knight into the path of one."

Schneizel turned his attention away to the screen again, sometimes glancing at the map of the Damocles. Lelouch wouldn't register on it, but he could only guess that his brother was still running around in the fortress. Hopefully some guards would find him before he reached the control room. But if that didn't happen, everyone in the control room was armed. It was Lelouch and one Knightmare pilot against all of them in here, and Schneizel was sure they would win.

* * *

Suzaku shut his eyes against the bright flash of light, shivering in his seat.

That was a F.L.E.I.J.A. Schneizel had launched a F.L.E.I.J.A.

Thankfully he was already out of range when it detonated. He wasn't sure he would have been able to move to get out of the way. He was barely coping with the fact now.

Suzaku blinked, trying to regain his vision from the flash of bright light that had followed the F.L.E.I.J.A's detonation. He was sure that he would have a few more moments before the red Knightmare attacked again, but he was still shaking. He had seen a F.L.E.I.J.A. go off, and had lived.

He laughed nervously, shaking his head. It would make an interesting story to tell the others back at school, but they would all think it was a dream. Or they would all think he was insane. Nina would probably think that it was a bad joke on his part and never speak to him again, even though she hardly spoke to him at all.

He swallowed and forced himself to stop thinking about the bomb. He hadn't been able to warn Lelouch about them before, but he was sure that the emperor knew about the F.L.E.I.J.A. now, so Lelouch would be cautious. Suzaku hoped that Lelouch would be cautious, he couldn't get to the emperor at the moment.

The red Knightmare's pilot was recovering from the shock of seeing the F.L.E.I.J.A. fired, focusing on him again instead of where Lelouch's troops were frantically trying to reform. Suzaku sighed and resettled himself. He would have to keep the pilot's attention on him while keeping them out of the range of the F.L.E.I.J.As; Schneizel had no reason to save the Black Knights. The group would just be an annoyance to him if he won.

If Suzaku let him win.

He gritted his teeth, glaring at the red Knightmare. He couldn't think that far ahead just yet, his main focus was on this pilot and then getting back to Lelouch. The Damocles probably had guards. While he trusted Gino, Suzaku wasn't sure how long the blond knight could last outnumbered by armed men.

Suzaku ducked the Lancelot around the red Knightmare's outstretched arm, coming close enough to land a kick before retreating. Schneizel wouldn't aim directly at them, or at least he hoped that it wouldn't be the case. Schneizel would aim for places where the Black Knights were directly confronting Lelouch's army, so that he would have an excuse for taking that kind of damage to his own army. Suzaku was in trouble only if he strayed too close.

That was easier said that done. His kick seemed to wake the pilot of the red Knightmare up, Suzaku having to retreat quickly to avoid the Knightmare's right arm and the knife that was held in the opposite hand. The pilot wasn't giving him an opening to attack yet, apparently bent on getting him back towards their own line.

Suzaku swallowed and adjusted his grip. If he got pushed back too far then he would just be a sitting duck. He tried drifting back to his own line, stopping part of the way there when he realized how many Black Knights were already there. He muttered a curse under his breath and tried to return to the middle ground between the two sides, but the red Knightmare was already there, blocking any attempt to get around her.

He quickly lost his patience, Suzaku glancing over at the small clock that was tucked away on the console. He couldn't quite see the hour, but he could see the minutes ticking away slowly. He didn't know how long it took the Damocles to reload or how long between F.L.E.I.J.As they could wait, but he didn't want to get caught here. But the red Knightmare wouldn't let him through.

Suzaku growled and turned the outside speakers on, shouting at the red Knightmare before he really had a chance to think. "Let me through!"

"Why? So you can go and help your emperor? Like I would allow you to do that."

"No!" Suzaku took a deep breath, pulling his last MVS sword out. He was going to get himself out of this corner, he had promised Lelouch that.

"Liar. If I moved, you would run right back to him like the coward you are."

"I'm not a coward."

"You are. Otherwise you would fight for your own country no matter what the consequences."

Suzaku ducked the attack, feeling something grab at the Lancelot before he moved out of the way. A quick glance to the side showed that he could edge around the red Knightmare like this, if he moved fast enough. Suzaku licked his lips and began to move sideways, keeping his attention on the Knightmare.

"And what about the consequences I face?"

"You don't have any!" The red Knightmare lunged, Suzaku raising the sword in time to block the silver hand. He groaned when he saw the surface of the sword bubble, dropping it and retreating.

The red Knightmare made quick work of the MVS sword. Suzaku watched the fragments of the sword drift away, his stomach rolling. He was left with one weapon and about half his operation time.

He looked back up at the red Knightmare attacked again, activating the Blaze Luminous shield to protect the Lancelot from her attack. The metal armor of the Knightmare shrieked as it rubbed against the shield, Suzaku holding his ground until the pilot retreated again.

"You ran to the Britannians as soon as you could. There are no consequences!"

Suzaku shook his head, inching over to the side and checking his distance to the Damocles. "Yeah? And what about the people who raised me? What about them? They'll die if I don't get back."

"I don't believe you."

"Your people killed them! They did nothing wrong and they just killed them!" Suzaku was shocked by his outburst. He rocked back into the pilot's seat, completely letting go of the joysticks as he stared straight ahead.

He had never differentiated himself from the Japanese before, even though he had been raised by Britannians. He had been ten when he had been taken in by Lloyd and Cecile, so he remembered some Japanese customs, but they were mixed in with the Britannian ones that he had been taught. But he had always seen himself as Japanese, at least until he saw people behaving like those teenagers had the night he had come back to the past or the way Kallen was behaving now. And it was slightly frightening that he was so willing to distance himself from his own people just on that basis.

Suzaku scrambled to grab onto the joysticks again, feeling his hands sweat beneath the gloves that he wore.

"They were Britannian."

"Yes." Suzaku closed his eyes.

He didn't know if Cecile had made it back to the train station in time that night. And, if she had, he didn't know if there would be help there. There weren't many people who wanted to go to Shinjuku on the anniversary of the Demon Emperor's death. So there was a greater chance that she was dead.

"Then they deserved it." His eyes snapped open, Suzaku shocked by the conviction on the pilot's voice. "They deserved it for what they did to us."

"T-they didn't do anything."

There was a pause. "They still deserved it."

His eyes widened at the faint waver in the pilot's voice. So the pilot didn't quite believe what she was saying, which was a relief. Suzaku couldn't imagine anyone with enough hate to condemn people that they had never known. But that still didn't make up for the fact that she had said it out loud.

Suzaku chuckled, focusing on the red Knightmare again. "That's the difference between us. You fight for a nation, I fight for the people."

"The wrong people."

"Are you sure?" The pilot hesitated, Suzaku using the time to make his move.

He lunged forward, waiting for the moment when the pilot would rock back to give herself room to defend. In that moment, Suzaku dodged around the red Knightmare, flying and full speed towards the Damocles. The closer he got to the fortress, the safer he would be. It would be better if he could be seen fighting around the Damocles, then that would cause some panic.

Suzaku glanced down at the grid, watching as the dot that was the red Knightmare followed him. Good, that meant that he was saving one more person. He smiled sheepishly to himself. He couldn't quite bring himself to hate the pilot, he just thought that her ideas were wrong. You couldn't hate a whole people on the basis of what they had done, there were too many innocent people who would be blamed as well. Even with that he wasn't going to let her die.

If she wanted to defend Japan so badly, then he would make sure she got that chance.

Suzaku reached out, flipping through the radio channels until he found the private channel between him and Lelouch. He had been cut off earlier, probably because Lelouch had abandoned the Shinkiro. He would wait to yell at the emperor later.

"Your majesty?"

"Suzaku?"

Lelouch was breathing heavily. Suzaku listened intently for a moment, relieved that he couldn't hear the sound of gunfire. "I'm bringing that red Knightmare closer to the Damocles."

"Good, it's safer here. Stay out of the way of those things."

"F.L.E.I.J.As?"

Suzaku flinched as he realized that he had spoken out loud, but Lelouch didn't seem to care. "If you need an order, I'll give you one. Stay alive, Suzaku."

"Yes, my lord."

"And show off if you manage to get through the gap in their defenses. Panic will make this easier for us."

"I can do that."

"And hurry up."

Suzaku chuckled. "Miss me?"

"I'll never admit it." The communication was shut off, Suzaku's signal to switch channels. Lelouch would have to turn the incom back on again, but it was just like the emperor to try and avoid letting something slip.

Suzaku shook his head, freezing when he saw shuttles making their way behind the enemy lines. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what they were, giving up a few moments later. They were too far away, to tell who was in them. But it probably wasn't Schneizel, the prince was too sure that he would win. But that didn't tell him anything. Still, it was better to just let the shuttles go than to chase after them, he had more important things on his mind.

The gap in the Damocles' shield was well defended, five Knightmares bunched around the small hole. Suzaku frowned and pulled the VARIS free. He would have to make this shot count, or he would be stuck between the red Knightmare and the ones guarding the hole. Thankfully, he had just enough room to get off two shots, three if he was lucky.

It took him all three shots, the first one sending them scattering away, but they came back. The second and third were fired in quick succession, those two shots actually hitting Knightmares and dropping them away. That made the guards retreat a bit, enough for Suzaku to move through the hole in the shield before they could reform.

He spared a glance at his screens, relieved that the red Knightmare had to wait for the guards to move away before flying in. It gave him the time to circle around the Damocles, hoping that there was someone who would see him and start the panic. But he couldn't see any windows, they either didn't exist, or were too small for him to see from the Lancelot.

Suzaku turned and spiraled around the structure, marveling at how tall it was. In school they were just told that the Damocles had been made to be the ultimate weapon against Lelouch. They were given the measurements and a picture of the fortress, but it didn't really compare to the size. Now Suzaku could see why they had put all of their efforts into this one thing, it looked like it could beat Lelouch. But he was here to make sure that it would fail.

He twisted the Lancelot around, surprising the red Knightmare. It was easy to slam into it and force it down. Suzaku smiled as he saw the knife fall, knocking against the side of the Damocles. Now he was safe without distractions.

Suzaku twisted the Lancelot, watching as the Guren's elbow joint snapped. He would have to use his old strategy from Bismarck, the red Knightmare was too dangerous to keep in contact with for a long time. But he would have to find a place to fight where he wouldn't hurt the pilot, because he wanted to make sure that she lived. He wasn't sure if it was because he thought that she could help Japan, or because he felt the need to apologize to her for forcing her to fight him and lose.

He glanced towards the top of the Damocles, urging the Lancelot to rise higher as the first warning lights flashed on. He immediately switched all power to communications and weapons systems. He wanted to last as long as possible before he was forced to retreat.

The Lancelot barely cleared the edge of the Damocles, Suzaku quickly setting it down and keeping the wings out. While he had them, he would use them. As soon as the red Knightmare cleared the top of the Damocles, it was bombarded.

He was at a disadvantage now that he was on the ground, but he could keep the red Knightmare from rising above him. Suzaku smiled as he saw that some of the bolts of energy were scraping past the red Knightmare. The model was older than the Lancelot Albion and the pilot was managing to match him, an impressive feat.

Suzaku backed away from the edge, letting the wings fold in a moment later with a grimace. He had to save what he had left for the upcoming fight, but he had to get the red Knightmare on the ground first.

In the end, he opted for shooting out the red Knightmare's float system, Suzaku wincing as the Knightmare slammed into the flat space on top of the Damocles. For a moment, it looked like he had ended the fight, but the red Knightmare managed to get up.

He took note of the sparks that danced over the metal of the Knightmare's right hand. At least he was safe from that, which meant that he could focus disabling the Knightmare the best he could. Suzaku activated the Blaze Luminous shields, bracing himself as the Knightmare charged.

This was the kind of battle that he liked, if he could bring himself to like anything about battles. It was like martial arts, the two Knightmares throwing kicks and punches at each other, which put them on an almost even playing field; with one exception. The Lancelot was faster, much faster.

Suzaku bit his lip, ducking under a ferocious punch to land one on his own. It almost made him want to fight this pilot with a Knightmare that was equal to his, not that he'd want to risk his mission for it. But, if this pilot could do this much with an older model, what could she do with something like the Albion?

He spun the Lancelot around, feeling the red Knightmare's left leg give under the attack. Suzaku steadied the Lancelot when the machine landed, watching as the red Knightmare crumpled to the ground. He cautiously approached it, surprised when it didn't get up.

"What are you waiting for, traitor? Finish me off."

"I…" Suzaku stared at the Knightmare, shaking his head. "I don't want to kill people."

"You chose the wrong place to be then."

"I don't."

"I don't believe you."

Suzaku sighed, leaning forward to turn off the Lancelot. The red Knightmare was too badly crippled to attempt to fight again, which meant that he was safe. Now he had to secure his prisoner, somehow.

He paused before sliding out the pilot seat, staring at the gun he could just barely see under the control panel. Suzaku took it despite his misgivings, he wouldn't fire it unless he needed to defend himself. He was hoping that the threat of just holding the gun would be enough to keep the other pilot from doing something stupid.

Suzaku rode the tow line down to the ground, surprised to see the other pilot scrambling down her Knightmare Frame. He was even more surprised to see that she was about the same age as him. This was the age when they should have been hanging out with friends and struggling through school. They weren't supposed to be flying around battlefields in metal monsters. But, then again, this was a completely different world that his. In the future, he had time to do all of those things because of people like her.

He found himself smiling as he crossed the short distance between them. He was taken aback when the girl thrust out her wrists at him. When he didn't move, she waved her hands in his face. "Hey, I'm giving you this chance. You have ten seconds before I just run off."

"W-what?"

The girl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "And you're the emperor's personal knight? I feel horrible for not beating you. He knighted an idiot."

Suzaku blinked and shook his head. "I'm not tying you up."

"Why?"

"You have nowhere to run."

"Your Knightmare."

Suzaku grinned. "And I have the key and pass code. You don't trust Schneizel enough to run to him." The girl frowned and looked away. Suzaku sighed. "You can call for help if you want, but I'm not tying you up, there are more important things to do."

"Like help Lelouch."

His smile faltered for a moment. Of course she didn't just understand, he had made sure that nobody knew, not even Lelouch. Suzaku sighed and nodded. "Yes." He tucked the gun away, making a shooing motion at her. "Now, go on. I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone."

To his relief, she took the chance that he offered, adjusting the incom in her ear and turning away. Part of the way through the motion she paused, looking over her shoulder at him. "Why are you doing this?"

Suzaku shrugged, already beginning to back away towards the hatch that looked like it would lead him into the Damocles. "Because Lelouch knighted an idiot."

He turned around before he could say anything else. His hand tightened around the gun as he strode towards the hatch. It was dangerous to walk away from her like this, but Suzaku was sure that she wouldn't do anything, not while she was stuck here. That was the one thing he had to his advantage, she was stuck up here without and working Knightmare and had two choices. She would either call for someone to pick her up or follow him into the Damocles. And, since she didn't have a weapon, he was safe until she got close to him.

Either way, the pilot was no longer his problem. Now he had to get to Lelouch.


	26. Chapter 26

** Chapter Twenty-Six **

_August 29, 2018_

The floor shook slightly as another F.L.E.I.J.A. was fired. Lelouch had tried to keep count of them initially, but had lost count quickly as he and Gino had run through the corridors of the Damocles. It was useless information anyway since he couldn't see what damage the weapon was causing, which was the more important matter. Just counting the F.L.E.I.J.A would tell him how many Schneizel had, something that he couldn't do anything about at the moment. All he could do was try to find where the F.L.E.I.J.A were being fired from and stop them. A victory wouldn't be worth anything if he had to let the Black Knights slip away again.

Lelouch looked up as Gino gestured for him to move down the hall. The blond knight had been ranging ahead to check rooms while Lelouch moved more slowly down the hall. He supposed that he was guarding Gino's back, a position that he wasn't very comfortable with. He was more used to leading the charges than following behind someone.

He walked over to the knight, standing beside him and staring down the hallway. They hadn't run into anyone since they had come onboard. Lelouch was sure that the first F.L.E.I.J.A. had been fired in an attempt to frighten him or to make him return to the battlefield. But he was already too close to his goal to stop at that.

He tightened his hold on the gun, glancing back over his shoulder at Gino. "How far up have we gone?"

"A few levels and I'm not looking forward to climbing the rest." Gino narrowed his eyes. "We should have seen someone now."

"Or he's kept his forces to just around the control room."

"In that case, we keep missing it." Gino chuckled and slumped against the wall. "Instead of avoiding the guards we should be looking for them."

Lelouch just stared, carefully watching the blond's face to see if Gino was joking. To his dismay, the knight wasn't. He knew that they would have to face guards eventually, but it wouldn't work to their advantage, and there was no trick that he could think of at this moment. He would have to wait to see where the confrontation was taking place. But they didn't have the time for that right now, there were only ten minutes between each F.L.E.I.J.A. and they had been standing here for five minutes.

He groaned in annoyance, staring back down the hallway and quickly coming to a decision. Gino was right, they would just have to wander around until they found where the guards were and rely on surprise to get through. Lelouch was sure that he could come up with something that would get them through without getting hurt, but that all depended on them moving fast enough. The next F.L.E.I.J.A. would be coming and he didn't want to be trapped in the Damocles with no way out if Schneizel managed to outmaneuver them.

"Fine. We'll-"

"Lelouch."

He jumped at the sound of Suzaku's voice. He hadn't expected to hear from Suzaku so soon, but it was a nice surprise. "Finished with that Knightmare already?"

"For the most part."

Lelouch let the comment slide, motioning for Gino to go ahead. "How is it looking out there?"

"Pretty bad. It could be worse if Schneizel was aiming for our troops alone, but he's trying to get the Black Knights too."

So Schneizel was trying to clean up as well. Lelouch was tempted just to let Schneizel run himself out of the weapon to get rid of the Black Knights as well, but that would ruin the future of Japan. So that was one plan that he couldn't use.

Lelouch sighed. "Suzaku, do you have any information on the Damocles?" The silence on the other end was telling enough. Lelouch could either let Suzaku remain silent or demand what Suzaku knew, and he didn't have time for the former. "Tell me what you can."

"What do you need?"

"Control room. Anything like that." Lelouch shrunk back against the wall as Gino motioned him back, the blond ranging ahead again. "Something where we can take control of the fortress."

"Hold on. Trying to remember."

Remember? Lelouch frowned, waiting for Gino's signal to move. Why would Suzaku have to remember something about a fortress he had only seen from the outside? He shivered, tightening his grip on the gun.

He had promised that Suzaku wouldn't have to explain how he just knew things and Lelouch had been prepared to just leave it at that. He wanted to prove to Suzaku that he trusted him above all others and that was the one thing he could think of. It was one thing to trust his body to Suzaku but it was another thing to remain willfully ignorant about something despite everything that had happened to him. And Lelouch thought that Suzaku had been grateful.

But if Suzaku was remembering something about the Damocles, that implied that he had been inside before. Suzaku could have just reported in late, once he was sure that there was no one around, but he would have explored the upper levels alone. The other conclusion was that Suzaku was on their side, Schneizel's side, and had been all along. Suzaku could have been passing information and getting orders in return all of this time, and Lelouch hadn't even thought to have Suzaku watched; he had been too busy entertaining his lustful thoughts and spending time with Suzaku afterward. Only an idiot would think that a relationship would save them from harm. Raleigh had loved Euphemia and he had still killed her.

"Alright, I've got it. The control room is on the bottom level."

"What?"

"Just believe me, Lelouch, it's there."

"I want to."

"Want? Lelouch is this really the time to talk about this?"

Gino appeared again, the blond walking back to where Lelouch was pressed against the wall. Lelouch frowned, considering his options. "No."

"There's going to be a later though."

"You said remember."

"You said you didn't need my explanation. I'm running out of things to swear my loyalty on."

Lelouch turned to look at Gino, noticing that the knight seemed impatient. "We'll talk about this later."

He heard Suzaku suck in a breath. "No. This is the only time I'm going to demand something of you, Lelouch. Let this go and just trust me."

"And if I don't."

"Then I'll continue to guard you to the best of my abilities, but I can't tell you this."

"You said you could once."

"That offer closed."

Lelouch shook his head, resisting the urge to break the incom against the wall. "Get down here."

"Yes, your majesty."

He flinched at the formal title, pulling the incom off and holding it in his hand. Without it in, he wouldn't have to listen to Suzaku, wouldn't have to suspect Suzaku. But, his commanders, if there were any left alive, would have no way to contact him.

Lelouch weighed the device in his hand, refusing to look at Gino. "We missed it. Suzaku says its on the bottom level."

"Then we'll go back down." Gino shrugged and started to walk back the way they had come. "Is Suzaku meeting us there?"

He glared at Gino and shoved the incom back into place, storming down the hall. He heard Gino shout at him, but he ignored the knight. There was plenty of time to defend himself if guards did show up. Besides, Gino was there to protect him, and Gino's loyalty was proven.

Then again, so was Suzaku's. Lelouch slowed down, muttering a curse under his breath. Suzaku had a spotless record when it came to his career, both as a guard and a knight. And Lelouch knew where Suzaku had been at all times. He could access the computers in the A.S.E.E.C. hangar to see if Suzaku had contacted people there, even though he knew Suzaku couldn't have. But there was no other reason that he could think of for Suzaku's knowledge of battle plans or the layout of the Damocles, and it frustrated him. He was doubting his knight because he honestly didn't know what to do.

A touch to his shoulder made him jump, Lelouch realizing that he had stopped. He turned to look at Gino, shaking his head in response to the concern on the knight's face. "It's nothing."

"Yes, your majesty."

They travelled silently back through the corridors, going past the level where they had left the Shinkiro and the Tristan to the one below it. Lelouch found himself holding his breath as they inched along the walls, straining to catch any sound. His confidence in being able to spot the guards before they spotted him was shaken, the corridors were curved, one part of the wall hiding a fraction of the corridor from his sight.

Lelouch swallowed, about to suggest that they begin their scouting pattern again when he heard a soft grunt from up ahead. Gino was moving away before he could order the knight to go and investigate. Lelouch followed carefully after, keeping himself at a distance from Gino and glancing back over his shoulder at the corridor behind him.

He stopped as Gino threw out an arm, stepping slightly to the side to see what was there. His eyes widened as he saw two men lying on the ground, Suzaku crouched beside one of them. Suzaku glanced back at them, sighing and standing up. The smile disappeared as he saw Lelouch.

Lelouch flinched at the bow that Suzaku gave him, tempted to gesture for Suzaku to stand up. But he allowed Suzaku this, he wanted to remain angry just a bit longer. "These the only two?"

"That I've seen." Suzaku sounded breathless, the knight glancing around. "But I came the round about way." He straightened up, pointing down the hall. "It should be over there."

Lelouch nodded, motioning for Gino to go ahead of him. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face when Suzaku fell into step behind him. He shivered as Suzaku stepped up close to him. "What's the plan?"

"Aim for Schneizel. They'll stop if we threaten him."

"And when we've taken the Damocles?"

"We fire a F.L.E.I.J.A. towards the Black Knights and give the orders to the army to close in." Lelouch glanced back at Suzaku. "We'll catch the leaders which will cripple them."

He saw Suzaku wince, wanting to question the knight about it. But he was distracted as Gino waved to get his attention, pointing at the doors. Lelouch took a deep breath, steadying his gun.

A quick nod from the knights was all that he got before Suzaku and Gino were moving forward. He felt Suzaku gently press him back against the wall before the two of them opened the door, Gino having to resort to smashing the end of his gun against the panel. Before the automatic locks engaged, the door slid back a few inches, Suzaku catching it and pushing it back as the alarms started to go off.

Lelouch could hear the people in the control room panicking, easing away from his place on the wall as Suzaku and Gino stepped into the room. He slipped through the door, expecting it to slam shut behind him. Instead, the mechanism gave a faint wheeze before powering down, the door staying partially open. Lelouch smiled at that and turned his attention back to the room.

It was chaos.

Gino was walking towards the front of the control room, the people scattering to the far corner in an attempt to get away from the blond knight. Suzaku had cornered Schneizel. The few people that had surrounded the prince in an attempt to protect him had already dropped their weapons. Lelouch smiled and stepped over to where Suzaku was standing.

He saw Schneizel's eyes narrow as his half brother spotted him. "Lelouch."

"Schneizel, what a surprise. I thought you were in the EU."

"Officially I am."

"And unofficially you are here, helping Cornelia to take care of her little…problem."

Schneizel chuckled. "I would hardly call you a problem, Lelouch."

Lelouch grinned, pointing his gun at the people cowering by Schneizel. "Get down on the ground, bow before your emperor."

The people scrambled to obey his orders, Lelouch already glancing to where the people who had been controlling the Damocles were gathered. They wouldn't be cowed by Gino for long, but they could be cowed in another way. "Get back to the controls, or my knight kills your leader."

To his surprise, only a few went. The rest stared back at him. Lelouch tipped his head to the side with a laugh. He didn't know what to do about the few people that wouldn't obey his orders. He didn't want to waste the bullets on them, considering that they would still have to make it out alive. His plan would have to be adjusted a bit.

"Gino, contact the generals. Tell them to start bringing the Knightmares in. Lower the shields around the Damocles. And that's an order!"

The people at the controls jumped, hastily obeying. Lelouch nodded, trusting Gino to take care of the few who were still standing. With that settled, he turned his attention to Schneizel.

His half brother was surprisingly calm for a man who had a gun pressed against his head. Then again, when Lelouch had managed to find Schneizel for the first time after he took the throne, Schneizel had offered for his life to be taken to spare his staff. Lelouch had just dismissed that as a clever strategy back then, but that was when he had been naïve. Schneizel had proven that he had no care for his own life, nearly throwing it away more times than was necessary. It was such a waste. There was only one time Lelouch would give up his life, and that would be for Nunnally.

Lelouch reached out to rest a hand on Suzaku's shoulder, feeling the knight tense with the move. Lelouch kept his hand there, remaining in contact with Suzaku. It would be better for him to stick close to the knight, especially since their position gave him a good view of the rest of the room. It would be easy to get off a shot here or run for the doors. The only problem they be how the rest of the people in the control room would act, but Lelouch was depending on the fact that they wouldn't try to shoot him since their leader could be easily killed by Suzaku.

He smirked, glancing at the others as he slid his hand down Suzaku's shoulder, resting it on his knight's hip. He felt Suzaku shiver, but the knight didn't look back over his shoulder. Suzaku kept the gun steady, even when Lelouch pressed up against his back and rested his chin on Suzaku's shoulder, watching his half brother carefully.

He wasn't sure he had actually seen the flash of anger that crossed Schneizel's face, but it was satisfying all the same. It was amusing to watch Schneizel struggle to maintain his façade while Lelouch practically wrapped himself around Suzaku. There was also the thrill of being able to do this to Suzaku in front of other people.

That thought made him pause, Lelouch swallowing and resettling his hand on Suzaku's hip instead of wrapping his arm around Suzaku's stomach like he had been planning to do. He couldn't show that he cared about Suzaku, although he was probably pushing past that line now. Lelouch leaned against Suzaku, looking like he had planned this from the start, that he was just using Suzaku to support his body.

"Your majesty." Lelouch turned his head to look at Gino. "The shields are down and we've got confirmation from the generals, they're starting to push the Black Knights back."

"Good. Now, fire a F.L.E.I.J.A."

"My lord?"

"Fire it towards the Black Knights. Drive them back and prove that we have the Damocles." Lelouch turned his head back to look at Schneizel as his half brother laughed. "You don't believe me, Schneizel?"

His half brother pulled at one of the sleeves on his coat. "You have control of one room and only two knights with you. You don't have control of the Damocles."

"Throwing your life away won't save these people, Schneizel. Not when I want you alive, Schneizel." Lelouch tipped his head to the side. "I suppose that you had some torment ready for when you captured me, so it's only fair that I return the favor."

"This is just a battle that you won, Lelouch. This isn't the whole war."

"Oh, but you'll find it is." Lelouch lifted his hand from Suzaku, gesturing towards the screen. "Are we ready?"

"Firing the F.L.E.I.J.A. in three…two…one." The floor trebled as the F.L.E.I.J.A. was fired, Lelouch turning his head to watch the tally of those hit by the weapon, the word 'lost' flickering across the grid.

He smiled and straightened up, no longer leaning his head against Suzaku's shoulder. "Speakers."

There was muttering from the men at the controls, Lelouch watching as they followed his orders. At least they were still doing that. He would have been in trouble if the men decided to fight back. There was still time for them to do that, but the threat of Lelouch's generals heading their way would, hopefully, keep them from doing anything. That and the F.L.E.I.J.A. that had just been fired. They knew that they were beaten. Now they had to be kept from doing something rash in an attempt to do something with the last few moments of their lives.

Lelouch jumped slightly at the crackle from the speakers. He sighed and pushed away from Suzaku, turning to stand with his back to Schneizel. Suzaku would make sure that Schneizel didn't do anything to harm him.

"Attention Black Knights, that was your one warning shot. Schneizel has surrendered the Damocles to me, which leaves me in control of the F.L.E.I.J.A. This is your one chance to surrender. Land your Knightmares and step out of the cockpits. Those who do not will be killed." Lelouch closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the shouts of outrage that came over the radio. From what he could hear, about half of the Black Knights were calling for surrender while the others were still trying to continue the attack. Lelouch could hear Cornelia egging the latter group on. He smiled and turned to look back at Schneizel. "Still think that this is just another battle to be won."

Schneizel shrugged. "You can't capture all of them."

"But I don't need to; just those in charge and a handful of their followers. Then the orders go out for the rest to be hunted down. The Black Knights will be completely obliterated within a few days." Lelouch chuckled, turning around and returning to Suzaku's side. "It's all very simple, brother. People from the Areas will be drafted into service and marched into Asia and the EU, taking over the both will be easier now because of you. And, in a matter of months, the world will be mine, and this pesky matter of who really is the emperor of Britannia will be over with."

"And you think that's what Nunnally wants?"

Lelouch was surprised that Schneizel brought up Nunnally. Then again, it was the only thing that Schneizel had to threaten him with, especially since Schneizel was in no position to threaten Suzaku. Lelouch still allowed his eyes to widen slightly before he faked a recovery. "Who says I'm doing this for Nunnally? I only had two goals in mind when I came to the throne, to punish those who had killed our mother and to obliterate Britannia."

He leaned against Suzaku again, watching Schneizel process the lie. It was easy to see where he planned to go from here, and that was exactly what Lelouch wanted Schneizel to think. But taking over the entire world, Lelouch would succeed in obliterating the empire of Britannia, as he would be the ruler of the world. It was the next logical step for him to make, since he had been bent on controlling all of the Areas and making sure that none of his siblings lived to try to take over his throne.

Schneizel looked away for a brief moment, Lelouch smiling at the move. The lie had worked. Schneizel might not have believed him completely, but there was enough of a suggestion there that his real plan would work. Lelouch closed his fingers around Suzaku's hip. Everything was going according to plan.

"Your majesty." The voice came through the radio, Lelouch turning his head to look at the operator. The man gulped and scrambled to turn up the volume, Lelouch listening to the report that was coming in. "We have a squad of Knightmares moving further into the Damocles from above and below. We've recovered the Shinkiro, the Tristan and the Lancelot and well as an enemy Knightmare. Troops are making their way towards your position as we speak."

"Leave everyone in this room alive when you get here. I think we may have cornered a few of the Black Knights' leaders with us."

"Understood, your majesty. We have also captured a prisoner, a young woman who was up on the top of the fortress when we arrived." Lelouch felt Suzaku twitch. He smoothed his fingers over Suzaku's hip in an attempt to calm the knight down. "We've located Princess Cornelia and another one of the commanders."

"See that they are kept alive."

"Yes, your majesty."

The line crackled into static, Lelouch humming to himself and resting his chin on Suzaku's shoulder. Lelouch watched Schneizel's eyes wide, fighting back a chuckle as he heard the sound of people running outside. His forces were already rushing to the control room. "I'd say we've won the war." He turned his head to nuzzle behind Suzaku's ear, feeling the knight shiver. "Wouldn't you, my knight?"

Suzaku didn't answer. He didn't have to.

The soldiers charged into the room, a few of them shouldering the door further open on its protesting mechanics to allow more of them to get in. They quickly swept through the room, herding the few people that weren't working the controls of the Damocles and herding them into a corner. The rest arranged themselves around the room to guard the people at the controls, save for two who came to take a hold of Schneizel.

Lelouch retreated then, keeping his arms wrapped around Suzaku as he watched his victory unfold.

* * *

 _September 2, 2018_

Nunnally straightened out her skirt, trying to get it as crease-free as possible. Lelouch had promised to discuss matters of politics with her, at her own insistence, so it was better for her to look professional. Or at least she felt that she had to. After all, business at court had always been carried out in the latest fashion or in proper uniforms, always formal. Lelouch had yet to initiate the court again, and he probably never would with all of the aristocracy disbanded, but that didn't change the fact that this meeting between them seemed to be formal.

And, mostly importantly, this meeting was where Nunnally had to show her brother that she had grown up. She didn't mind him looking after her or spending time with her, she would never begrudge that closeness with her brother. What she did want to change was his image of her as the helpless little girl she had been in Japan. She might not be as world wise as Lelouch was, but she was equally as smart and stubborn as her brother was. Between the two of them, there was nothing that they couldn't do.

She gave up her skirt as a lost cause as the door to Lelouch's study slid open. Nunnally guided her wheelchair through the doorframe, surprised when she didn't see Lelouch at his desk. She turned her head, smiling when she saw that Lelouch and Suzaku were on the couch.

Suzaku was sitting upright, glancing up at her as she came closer. He smiled and motioned for her to be quiet, looking down at Lelouch again. Nunnally nodded and slowed her wheelchair down to decrease the soft whirr that it made.

Lelouch appeared to be asleep, his head pillowed on Suzaku's lap. Nunnally flinched at the sight and began to back away. Her brother needed his rest, he had been chasing after the remains of the Black Knights for days now. The prison was already full of their leaders, the ones that Lelouch initially caught on the Damocles and the ones that he had found after. From what she had heard, he had all of them and the rest of the Black Knights were just running scared. The rumor was that Lelouch was going to start executing them soon.

Nunnally swallowed and tipped her head to the side. She didn't believe that Lelouch would actually execute those people. It would just cause more trouble for him, and people already hated him. It didn't make sense to keep alienating himself from his people.

She froze as Lelouch stirred, her brother raising his head to blink up at her before hastily sitting up. Nunnally gave him an apologetic smile. "Don't. I can wait."

"No. I promised that I would talk to you."

"But you're tired."

"It doesn't matter." Lelouch was blushing, and refusing to meet her gaze. "I don't break my promises to you, Nunnally."

He yawned and stretched, leaning forward when he was done. Lelouch smiled at her. "Now, I promised to talk to you about my plans."

"Yes. And I don't want you to leave anything out." She gave him a stern look. "You've been acting strange for months now. There are times when I…I don't know you anymore."

Lelouch chuckled, reaching forward to take her hand. "Then everything is working out the way I planned it." He rubbed the back of her hand. "I'm working on a way to get us out of here, Nunnally."

"Out of Area 11?"

"No, out of all of this completely."

"You mean, abandon the empire?"

Lelouch shook his head, Nunnally breathing a sigh of relief. She knew that he blamed Britannia for their mother's death, that he couldn't see past the vastness of the empire to realize that there were people beneath it who hadn't harmed Marianne. It was the thing that she had feared when her brother had taken the throne, that he would turn the resources of the empire against itself in revenge. It would have destroyed the ones that had killed their mother, but it would have also killed the innocents.

"What are you going to do?"

"Find someone to replace me." Lelouch smiled, carefully removing his hand from hers so he could kneel on the floor beside her wheelchair. "I'll have a false faction created and carefully select a successor to follow me, one that the people want."

Nunnally's eyes widened. "That's why you did those things. You wanted people to hate you."

Lelouch looked surprised that she had figured out what his plan had been. She laughed and reached up to ruffle his hair. "Don't worry, I only figured it out because you told me what you were aiming for. If you hadn't I'd still be guessing."

It wasn't the whole truth, but it was the closest truth that she could say. Lelouch would go out of his way to keep away from her if she said that she had gotten used to reading him for a hint of what he was doing. Lelouch very rarely did something without thinking it through many times and weighing the pros and cons. Even his relationship with Suzaku had to have been put through that process.

She rested her hand back in her lap, tilting her head to the side. "Why though? Why do all of this just to give it up?"

Lelouch shrugged. "Because I could set it up for the next emperor, remove everything that stood in their way quickly and without worrying about how it would reflect on me." He tilted his head towards his desk. "I have things prepared for them. Not everything, but a few things that will make it harder for Britannia to get to this state again."

Nunnally nodded, trying not to show her excitement. She had to be able to think this through, to impress Lelouch that she could do this much. She wanted to be able to prove to him that she was just as capable as Suzaku in these matters. Lelouch didn't have to be alone anymore.

She bit her lip, staring at the back of the couch as she came to a conclusion. "But what if your successor doesn't agree?"

"The faction will be created by me with choices that have been determined to be good for Britannia."

Nunnally's stomach turned at that. Lelouch probably wouldn't want to be reminded that he was sounding like their father right now. She agreed that the choices for the next emperor would have to be carefully looked over to prevent another tyrant from rising and ruining everything that Lelouch had risked his life for, but the next ruler couldn't just be someone who would follow Lelouch's plans to the letter. They had to be able to think on their own feet and decide if what Lelouch had thought of would work at all. And she had a feeling that Lelouch would put pressure on the people to chose the one that would be the perfect sycophant, nothing more than a puppet; although she didn't know if that was because Lelouch wanted to be sure that another tyrant wouldn't rise or if it was his way of being able to remain in power.

For her entire life, Lelouch had been struggling to gain power. The power to protect her, the power to avenge their mother's death, the power to topple Britannia. It was what he had been taught to seek by the royal court and all he had struggled to gain after their mother had died. Nunnally could not think of a time when Lelouch hadn't been struggling to gain something for himself. Of course, he always put it off as something that he had to do for her sake or for the sake of the world, but Nunnally always wondered how much of it was for his own sake.

She shifted in her wheelchair, not sure how to offer a compromise. There wasn't one that she could think of, not with what Lelouch had planned. But there was still time for her to act before then, but she would have to be sure before presenting the idea to Lelouch. Her brother's mind was a hard thing to change once he had decided on a course of action.

Nunnally cleared her throat, glancing over at Suzaku. "What do you plan to do until then?"

"Executions."

She jerked, her wheelchair wobbling as she pressed herself against one side. Lelouch hurriedly reached out to steady it, Nunnally resisting the urge to push his hands away. "W-what?"

"It's what they expect." Lelouch was holding her hand again, keeping her still. "The people who led the Black Knights will be kept safe until I'm overthrown. They'll form the basis for the free Japan that will be established."

"And our siblings?" Nunnally wished that she hadn't asked the question as soon as she had spoken.

Lelouch looked away from her, the motion enough of an answer. There was a chance that Lelouch would let them live, but it was a slim one. There was a better chance of Lelouch killing them because they posed a threat to her safety or because they had not spoken against their father when Charles had decided to invade Japan. Nunnally knew that both Schneizel and Cornelia had no choice but to agree, especially back then. Both of them had been still dependent on their father, not completely settled in their places as they were now. That and they had been expected Charles to pull both her and Lelouch out before attacking instead of bowing to the demands of the nobles.

Her brother patted her hand. "We'll see."

Which probably meant no.

Nunnally glanced over at Suzaku, relieved when the knight nodded. He would talk to Lelouch later or attempt to. Lelouch would listen to Suzaku, at least more than he did to her.

She bit her lip, staring down at the floor as she tried to figure out how to steer the topic away from the executions. She trusted Lelouch on the subject of the future leaders of Japan, that they would be safe because they were still needed. Nunnally reached up with her freed hand to tuck hair behind her ear. "What will happen to us?"

She felt the tremble in Lelouch's hand, keeping a strong grip on her brother's hand to prevent him from pulling away. To her surprise, Lelouch didn't struggle away, he just reached up to cup her cheek. "We're going to disappear."

"How? Everyone looks for us?"

Lelouch grinned. "After I've been overthrown, you'll retreat to live out the rest of your life away from the people who tried to hurt you. The people will believe that and leave you alone."

"But what about you?"

"People don't look for the dead."

Nunnally started again, Lelouch reaching out to steady her. She fumbled for a better grip on him, pulling him close. "No. What will I do without you? You can't die!"

"I won't, Nunnally. I promise you that."

"But you said…" She yelped and clutched at her brother's arms as he lifted her from her wheelchair and set her on the couch. Nunnally waited until he had sat down again before reaching out for him and clinging.

Lelouch wrapped his arms around her. "It's what I want people to think and the only way people would stop looking for me. Besides," he tipped her chin up, smiling at her, "do you really think Suzaku will let anything bad happen to me?"

"N-no." Nunnally took a deep breath, keeping her eyes closed until she was sure that she could speak without stuttering. "No. You wouldn't let him so close if he would."

"That's right." Lelouch gave a nervous chuckle, still hugging her close. "And now you know everything."

"Not quite."

"Everything that can be accomplished from here." Lelouch cleared his throat, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes. "There's still some things that I have to plan out."

"And I though that you would months ahead of now."

"No use wasting the time planning for something that might never occur." Lelouch reached up to fix her hair, Nunnally rolling her eyes by allowing it. Lelouch was probably trying to avoid more uncomfortable questions from her, and she would allow it. She had gotten more from him than she had expected and she could tell that most of what he had said had been true, or at least mostly true.

"I'll let you get away this time."

"And next time, we'll be far away from all of this." He kissed her forehead before lifting her back into her wheelchair.

"Where?"

"Anywhere you want."

Nunnally smiled and nodded. "I'll start researching. I'm sure you won't accept just anywhere." She laughed at the surprised look that Lelouch gave her, gently patting his hand. "Don't worry, I'll keep us somewhere close to civilization, for your sake, big brother."

She backed the wheelchair away from the couch, giving Suzaku a little wave before heading to the door. She would leave the discussion about the captured siblings in Suzaku's hands, he would be able to convince Lelouch as an unbiased third party. In the meantime, she would begin to look for places where they could live in hiding, but at a level of comfort that wouldn't stress Lelouch out.

Nunnally fought back a giggle. She could just imagine Lelouch trying to live out the rest of his life in an isolated cabin. He would get bored too quickly. It was better to have a place where Lelouch could go then instead of cutting him off completely from the world.

The hard part was to figure out how to do it safely.

* * *

Suzaku watched Lelouch get up and stretch, biting his lip. Nunnally was probably expecting him to help her convince Lelouch to leave their siblings alone. He wasn't sure that he could actually do that, not with Lelouch already decided on what to do with them. They were a threat to the safety of the world Lelouch was creating, so they would be killed. That was easy enough to guess. And it wouldn't matter. In the end, Nunnally would figure out how to handle them so that they would leave her alone. He was too busy worrying about something else to bother with Cornelia and Schneizel.

"You told her you would be overthrown."

Lelouch paused halfway between the couch and his desk. Suzaku flinched and looked away as Lelouch turned to look over his shoulder. "Yes, I did."

"You lied to her."

"Not really." Suzaku heard the slight waver in Lelouch's voice. "Being assassinated is one way of being overthrown. And I did tell her that I would be faking my own death."

"Yes." Suzaku agreed through gritted teeth. "But you could have at least told her it would be faked through assassination."

"She doesn't need to know that."

"Doesn't need to…" Suzaku stood up, gesturing towards the door. "Your mother was assassinated!"

Lelouch tensed, placing a hand on the desk and leaning on it. "Your point?"

"Lelouch, Nunnally is probably just afraid of assassins as you are! She was caught in the crossfire when your mother was killed. Just think of how she would react if she heard her big brother was killed like that."

"I am." Lelouch turned around to glare at him. "Which is exactly why I didn't tell her. I need her not to act, people won't believe it if she doesn't. I need her to believe that I really am dead for a while."

"That's cruel, Lelouch."

"I have to protect her, Suzaku." Lelouch shook his head, slowly turning to face him. "All of this has been for her."

"Has it?"

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Most of it has. I will admit that some things were done for my own personal gain, but all of it had to lead to this point. Britannia will be destroyed and Nunnally will get the world she deserves."

"And you'll be able to let all of this go?" The question was completely irrelevant, but it slipped out before Suzaku could stop it.

Lelouch seemed taken aback, the emperor staring at him before laughing. "Yes. I gave all of this up the first time when my sister and I were shipped off to be hostages in Japan. I think I can give up being the ruler of a corrupt country that I hate."

Suzaku glared at Lelouch, but let the subject drop. It didn't matter if Lelouch could give up the power that he had gathered, he wouldn't have to. Anyway, it wasn't Suzaku's job to make sure Lelouch wasn't corrupt or to force him to accept new morals. His job was to protect Lelouch and then let him die.

He cleared his throat, finding a place to stare at on the floor. "I should probably warn you-"

"What? That I'm as bad as the rest of the nobles of Britannia?"

"No!" Suzaku swayed in place, tempted to glare at Lelouch. "That I'll be leaving soon."

To his surprise, Lelouch stayed silent. Suzaku let a few minutes pass before looking up, watching as Lelouch carefully looked away from him. "What do you mean by soon?"

Suzaku sighed, trying to fight back his frustration. He had told Lelouch that he couldn't stay, and Lelouch had always been fine with it before. Perhaps that had been because it was still a far off date, something that could be pushed aside for the moment. And he hadn't helped by making promises to visit Lelouch and Nunnally, promises that he knew he would break.

He rubbed a hand over his face. "End of October."

"Ah." Lelouch slumped against the desk, still not looking at him. "That soon."

Suzaku nodded, biting his lip to keep himself from saying anything stupid. He had messed up a lot while stuck here, letting things that would change history slip and allowing himself to fall in love with Lelouch. But he wasn't going to say anything that would damage the two of them more. He only had days left here, he wanted to make the most of them. With the stress that Lelouch was facing, it was just as likely they would end up shouting at each other instead of getting anything useful done.

He took a step back, sinking back down on the couch. "Yeah. I should have told you earlier but…"

"Yes. It's better to just believe that you have all the time in the world." Lelouch chuckled, Suzaku ducking his head in a useless attempt to get away from the sound.

He heard Lelouch sigh, listening as the emperor crossed the room and sat down beside him. Suzaku carefully look up at Lelouch. He jumped as Lelouch picked up his hand, the emperor playing with his fingers and humming. "I won't be able to convince you to stay."

"No."

"Then it's good you promised to visit." Suzaku looked up, surprised when Lelouch reached out to rest a hand on his cheek. "Or do I have to remind you about that?"

"I won't forget." Suzaku swallowed, trying to keep from doing anything that Lelouch would regard as suspicious. "I couldn't forget."

"Good." Lelouch stood up, walking back over to his desk. "Consider your orders to be to never leave my side until the day you go."

Suzaku chuckled, leaning back on the couch. "I'm assuming this means that you'll miss me and our little…arrangement?"

He regretted the words immediately as Lelouch looked up at him, the emperor narrowing his eyes. "I would hesitate to call it an arrangement. I wouldn't just do this with anyone."

"Neither would I." Suzaku couldn't tell if Lelouch was blushing, but he was sure that he was. He ducked his head, running an hand through his hair. "I've told you that I-"

"Y-yes. Yes." Lelouch cleared his throat. "And we'll leave it at that."

Suzaku looked up at the emperor, Lelouch staring fixedly at his desk. Suzaku nodded to himself and stood up, walking over to take his place behind Lelouch's chair. He didn't expect Lelouch to catch his arm and hold onto him.

"It's mutual, remember that. Our agreement is mutual."

It took a moment for Suzaku to figure out what Lelouch was talking about. Then he smiled and nodded. So, they were agreeing about this, and it wasn't just an arrangement. It wouldn't help him in the long run, but it was enough to make him smile now. He might as well take advantage of Lelouch's order and spend as much time as he could with Lelouch.

* * *

 _September 10, 2018_

Kallen grunted as she was shoved down into the chair, turning to try and lash out at the guard that held her there. Because of the prison suit, she was restricted, unable to move her arms from anywhere but the elbow and unable to use her hands because of the design of the suit. All she could do was kick and lash out with her bound arms, hoping to hit something. And, from the way the guards were treating her, she had managed to score some good blows.

She twisted in her seat, hoping to be able to hit one of the guards again when the lights snapped on. Kallen flinched and hid her face behind her hands, peeking out carefully as she heard someone walking down the length of the room. She didn't get a good look at the person, one of the guards reaching out and slapping her hard.

Kallen rocked back in her seat, blinking rapidly and trying to reorient herself enough to react. She was just turning to confront the man who had hit her when another person beat her to it. "My order was to bring the Black Knight ace in here unharmed."

"But my lord-"

"That was my order!"

Kallen was surprised that the guard actually took a step back, the man nodding slowly. "Yes, my lord. Forgive me."

"Go stand at your post."

The man shuffled back, Kallen turning to stare at the man on the other side of the table. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized his face from the announcements that the emperor had made on the television. Kallen snorted and leaned back in her chair. "I didn't need your help. I had it under control."

Suzaku Kururugi raised an eyebrow, sitting down in his seat. "Really?"

"Yes." Kallen straightened up, leaning over the table instead of standing up. "And I won't ever need your help because you are a traitor! You're helping the people who have done all of this to us!"

She leaned back, waiting for his response. On the battlefield, he was always quick to respond, quick to fight. Here, he was just sitting there and taking the verbal abuse. Kallen could tell by the way he had slightly curled into himself that it was making an impact, but he wasn't reacting. She frowned, turning her head to the side and looking away.

Kallen watched Suzaku carefully out of the corner of her eye, waiting for any kind of reacting from him. And, when he did move, it was unexpected.

Suzaku gestured for the two guards to leave the room, the men giving him a confused look before walking out of the room. Kallen turned to watch them go, her eyes widening as the door slammed shut behind them. She frowned and tilted her head up, searching the room for any kind of cameras or recording devices.

She got a glimpse of Suzaku as she made a sweep down the wall closest to him, annoyed by the smug look on his face. "What?"

"There's nothing here, no recordings, no nothing." Suzaku leaned forward, resting his cheek against his hand. To Kallen's surprise, he smiled at her. "I would ask you to trust me, but I don't think you will."

"You're right about that." Kallen huffed and looked away, embarrassed that she had been so easily found out. But there was no way that she could just take his word, not after everything that he had done to them. She glanced over at him. "It wouldn't be this way if you didn't switch sides."

"I never switched." He sighed and sat back up, tapping one finger on the table. "I was always loyal to the emperor."

"Do you even know what loyalty is?"

Suzaku snorted and rolled his eyes. "I know what that is. But you have a different definition."

"No, you're just an idiot." Kallen managed to stand, watching Suzaku carefully. She was at a disadvantage here, unable to move much and trapped in this room. And, even if she could get out, there would be nowhere to go. Japan was completely crushed by their defeat at Mt. Fuji, the people had lost the will to fight.

She narrowed her eyes, glaring at Suzaku before flopping back in her seat, suddenly exhausted. Everything that she and Naoto had worked for had failed spectacularly. They had tried their best to free their country, but Britannia had been too big.

No, she couldn't think that. It was just falling into the mindset that the Britannians wanted. They wanted Japan to be defeated, to see a resistance force led to their deaths looking like they regretted every moment. She would go looking like she wanted to try it all again. They had achieved something, not the freedom that she desired to see in her time, but they had proven that Lelouch wasn't impossible to beat. They had gotten close so many times, and had shown that they could beat down Britannia to a point where they would be left alone.

If only they had been stronger.

She looked up as Suzaku shifted. "Are you doing alright in prison?"

Kallen huffed and looked away, preferring to stare at the floor. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"What?"

"You were supposed to be our knight, the Japanese knight. You had the emperor's ear and could get our freedom. You weren't supposed to betray us and kill Princess Euphemia."

She looked up in time to see him react, Suzaku swallowing and looking down at the table. Kallen smiled, glad to have scored a hit. After Suzaku having the upper hand for so long, she just wanted to be able to take him down a few notches, to her level. It was the only thing she could do now. The others, she was sure, would probably be trying to convince Suzaku to return to their side, but she could see that he was too far gone. He was the emperor's toy now.

"I…I didn't kill her." The words were spoke at almost a whisper. "I would never have killed her."

"Liar."

"I wouldn't have." Suzaku sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Listen, I agreed with her. I wanted to see the Special Administrative Zone work as much as you guys did. But…things got out of hand."

"You killed her."

"Things got out of hand." Suzaku repeated himself, glaring at her. He glare only lasted for that moment, then he was staring at the table again. "Too many things happened too quickly to have it work anymore, so plans had to be changed."

Kallen shifted in her seat. She didn't completely believe him, she wasn't stupid enough to just fall for his story. But he was right on one account, things had gotten out of hand and moved too quickly to be stopped. If another Special Administrative Zone had been offered, they would never have been able to take it, because Lelouch would be running it and the emperor would have used it to trap the Black Knights.

Silence fell between them, spanning minutes as neither of them wanted to look at each other. All attempts at starting a conversation were met with a glare from one or the other. It was useless to try and discuss things that couldn't be changed. Suzaku was the emperor's loyal knight and Kallen was stuck in prison until the emperor decided to get rid of her, those things couldn't be changed. And she wouldn't have them changed, not for the world. From this position, she could encourage the people to keep trying and have Suzaku watch and realize how much he had betrayed them all.

Suzaku was the one to break the silence, the knight standing with a sigh. "The soldiers will take you back to your cell."

"And what will you do? Find someone else to betray?"

He chuckled at that. "I'll go home."

"Home?" Kallen sputtered for a moment, quickly organizing her thoughts. "Our home doesn't exist anymore. We're just a resource to be used like the sakuradite!"

"Kallen," Suzaku turned to face her, "don't stop fighting."

"What?"

"Japan will come back, I promise you that. Until then, don't stop fighting." Suzaku gave her a small smile. "People will remember you forever for what you've done."

Before she had the chance to demand to know what he meant, Suzaku walked out of the room. The door behind her banged open, signaling that the guards had come to retrieve her. Kallen twisted in her chair, yelping as she was yanked to her feet and pushed towards the open door.

She ignored the comments from the guards, too used to them by now. It seemed like the guards had nothing better to do than to spend a few minutes each day staring at the prisoners and insulting them. The first few days, she and a few of the others had shouted back responses but, lately, they had gone quiet, the drudgery of prison life weighing heavily on them. A few of them had started talking about how much they regretted joining the resistance at all. Even she had been tempted a few times.

Was that was Suzaku was talking about? If he wanted her to always hold the fact that she had attempted to free Japan close, why would he bother to be on Lelouch's side in the first place. There was no way he was working for their side, because he had acted as ruthlessly against the Black Knights as he did Lelouch's enemies.

Kallen gave up trying to figure out Suzaku Kururugi. He was just a traitor to his people and Lelouch's loyal dog. And she would keep fighting, but not because he told her to. There would be Japanese watching when they went to die, and Kallen wanted to make sure that they would be remembered and those that fought and struggled, because they would inspire the people to continue to do the same.

* * *

 _September 19, 2018_

Ohgi allowed himself to be guided into the chair in the dark room, careful not to make any sudden moves. There were two armed guards hovering over his shoulders, he was at a disadvantage here. Only when they were sure would they retreat. Kallen and the others had told him as much when they had been brought to speak to the emperor. Although, only Kallen had spoken to Suzaku Kururugi alone.

He frowned, trying to figure out why the emperor had ignored the girl or had sent down his knight alone. There hadn't been two interviews conducted at the same time, everyone else had been accounted for. Kallen was the only one who broke the pattern. Ohgi mentally set that aside as an anomaly; there was really no evidence that he'd have to look further into that situation unless something really strange happened.

Ohgi jerked back in his seat as the door at the other end of the room opened, watching as Suzaku Kururugi walked into the room first. The knight glanced at him before stepping to the side, bowing as Lelouch entered the room. Behind him, Ohgi heard the two guards mumble a greeting, Ohgi remaining in his seat.

Lelouch didn't seem to notice that he had not bowed or greeted the emperor properly. He just slid into his seat and dropped a file on the table. Suzaku slid into the customary place behind the emperor as Lelouch leaned back, smirking at him. The emperor gestured towards the guards. "You are dismissed. The presence of my knight should be enough to deter him."

The two guards snickered and left the room as ordered, Ohgi remaining still in his seat. He knew that the guards would just stand outside of the door, so there would be no escape in that direction. And, even if he could escape, he would have to get past Lelouch's knight first. In any case, he wasn't one for hand to hand fighting. He swallowed and settled back in his seat, trying to get comfortable. There was no telling how long this would last.

He watched as Lelouch flicked the file folder open, spreading the papers along the table and looking them over with an air of boredom. He reshuffled the papers a couple of times before finally looking up at him. Ohgi swallowed as Lelouch straightened in his chair, watching as Suzaku shifted behind him. "Kaname Ohgi, leader of the Black Knights and former schoolteacher. What an interesting combination. Did your pupils drive you to rebellion?"

Ohgi wasn't sure whether he could laugh or not. He settled on remaining silent, just watching and waiting for a question that he could answer.

It seemed like the right choice, because Lelouch didn't wait for him to answer, continuing to look through the papers. A few he held up to show his knight, Suzaku nodding at what he saw but making no comment.

Lelouch finally laid the last paper on the table, leaning forward to stare at Ohgi. "Now, tell me, why would a man like you join a terrorist group bent on throwing Britannia out of her hard won territory?"

Ohgi swallowed, but refrained from looking apologetic. The emperor didn't seem to notice, but Lelouch was probably used to it by now. Ohgi looked away and cleared his throat, it wouldn't hurt to tell the truth now. "A friend of mine."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, that enough to get Ohgi to continue. "A childhood friend of mine asked me to help him, and I said yes."

"Why?"

Ohgi started at the question. "Because he asked me too."

"That's all?"

He was already in prison, and he was going to get executed eventually. "Because I thought Britannia was ruining my country."

"Ah, finally we have the whole truth." Lelouch grinned at him. "Incidentally, Britannia was ruining your country. But," Lelouch dropped his gaze back to the papers, pushing one away, "that was before. I'm sure you don't agree with me though."

Ohgi kept his mouth shut. He wasn't sure exactly how to respond to the emperor, not after he had been thrown for a loop. He knew that Lelouch hated the nobles and most of the royal family for what had happened to his mother, but he was surprised to find out that the hatred also extended to the country itself. Then again, that might be gone now too, seeing as Lelouch referred to how Britannia was now as a separate country entirely. He clenched his hands into fists inside of the prison suit that he wore. "It's not my place to say."

"Strange. I brought you here to hear just what you wanted to say. All of your compatriots were very forthcoming."

He blinked, staring at Lelouch and resisting the urge to curse. Of course all of the others would have shouted at Lelouch. The emperor was giving them the chance of a lifetime and they were all dead men anyway. Ohgi was sure that most of them hadn't stopped themselves from hurling insults at the emperor. And, for a moment he was tempted to do the same.

But then he really looked at Lelouch, trying to formulate his response and make it a good one. He really looked and realized that their enemy, their emperor was only a kid.

Ohgi sighed and flopped back in his chair, shaking his head. "We had high hopes for you."

He could tell that it was not what Lelouch had expected. The emperor sat upright and stared at him, the look of surprise more gratifying than the best insult.

Ohgi nodded slowly. "When you took over for your father we hoped that you would be different. We heard everything that happened and we knew you had been here. So many thought that you would be an ally."

"What changed that?"

"When you started to take over the Areas again. They were already quiet and under your control. Why did you have to do it?" Ohgi glanced up at Lelouch and then over to Suzaku. When neither of them moved, Ohgi sighed and shook his head. "You took over the Areas again and started killing everyone who opposed you. We didn't understand, you were acting like your father. Some of us wanted to give you a chance. Others wanted to get you out of the way as soon as possible."

"What were you?"

Ohgi tipped his head to the side. "I wanted to give you a chance. But my friend, the one who got me to join the resistance, didn't. And, honestly, I'm glad that I listened to him."

"I see." Lelouch didn't seem to be upset at the revelation, taking it in stride like the rest of the information that he had been told during this interview.

The emperor looked down at the papers, shuffling them back into order and settling them into the file folder. Ohgi perked up, surprised that the interview was over so quickly. He had expected Lelouch to go on longer, or at least try something to intimidate them. Instead, Lelouch seemed happy to let him go with that.

Lelouch stood up, Suzaku stepping back and heading for the door. Ohgi sat upright in his seat, trying to find something to say as the two made their way to the door opposite of him. He was sure that, as soon as they were out, the guards would come and take him back. He rolled his shoulders forward, shaking his head.

"What would you do?" Ohgi looked up as Lelouch spoke. "If you could do this over, what would you do?"

"The same, except I'd hope to win."

"Ah. And if you had won?"

"What?"

"What would you do?"

That was the important question.

Ohgi hated his position as a leader, he preferred to be the one following. But, to his surprise, he had gotten used to it. He didn't enjoy it, but he would step in if someone didn't, like when they had decided to continue on even though the JLF had essentially been destroyed. And to do that, he must have thought that they could win against Lelouch somehow. But there had never really been a plan. He had always assumed that they would get to that when Japan was finally theirs again.

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know."

"That's a fine plan."

Ohgi looked up. "Something to help the people. It's not something that I can think up on the spot."

"No you can't." Lelouch tipped his head to the side. "But what if you didn't have to?"

"Sure." Ohgi felt like throwing his hands into the air. "I would pay attention to the people. I would give them what they needed before I gave them what they wanted. I would attempt to put their pride into their country again and make them feel like a part of the rebuilding efforts."

"Good."

His mouth dropped open as Lelouch turned and left the room, his knight trailing behind him. Ohgi stared at the door for a moment more before flopping back in his seat, barely hearing the door open behind him as the two guards came back in.

That was it? Lelouch wanted to know what he would have done if they had won and nothing else? Ohgi had expected a long interrogation on the F.L.E.I.J.A and their other battle plans. He had prepared for that mentally.

He shook his head, standing up when the guards reached for him. He didn't know what to make of what had just happened, so he would do what he had always done. He would forget about it and get on with his life. Ohgi got to his feet, allowing the guards to take their places on either side of him and guide him out of the room.

* * *

 _September 25, 2018_

Cornelia didn't look up as she heard footsteps heading towards her cell. It would just be the guard doing his usual check on them. Or, it would be another prisoner being led to one of Lelouch's interrogations. There was nothing unusual about it.

What was unusual was the soft whir of an engine that followed the soldier.

Cornelia lifted her head, her eyes widening as she saw Nunnally's wheelchair coasting to a stop in front of her cell. Her half sister glanced at her before waving the guard away. To Cornelia's surprise, the guard just walked away. She clenched her hands into fists, wanting nothing more to yell at the guard to return to his place. Nunnally was without a knight at the moment, alone in a prison full of people that hated her brother and would do anything to hurt him. They didn't want another Euphy on their hands.

She shifted, finding a new position to sit in and stretching out a leg. She winced at the pins and needles sensation in it, ignoring it in favor of watching Nunnally. "You should have a knight."

"I do." Nunnally smiled, her voice slightly muffed by the clear plastic that made up the front of the cell. "But I left him upstairs. I didn't want him disturbing the prisoners. He's developed a strange habit of coming down here and letting your ace pilot shout abuse at him."

Cornelia rolled her eyes. Nunnally would just give up her own safety that easily, she was so much like Euphy. She dropped her gaze to the ground, staring at it as Nunnally continued to talk.

"I'm also not completely alone. There are enough guards within shouting distance."

"It might not be enough."

"I know. But it's worth the risk to talk to you, sister." Nunnally tipped her head to the side, Cornelia wanting nothing more than to look away. She didn't want Nunnally to see her like this, defeated. Nunnally had always looked up to her, especially after she and Lelouch had been brought back from Japan. She had spend her whole life trying to set the proper example for her younger sisters, and accepting defeat like this was not the best example she should be setting.

"What could you want to talk about?"

"A way to convince you not to anger Lelouch any more." Cornelia flinched at the mention of their half brother. Nunnally was still willing to do anything for that monster. But, that was probably because Lelouch hadn't told her anything about his future plans. Nunnally still thought that they would be able to life happily together in Pendragon once this was over.

She sighed and shook her head, slowly getting to her feet. "Nunnally, this isn't like our days at the Aries Villa."

"I know that."

"Lelouch isn't going to let us go free. He's going to kill us."

"I know." Nunnally raised her chin slightly. "He told me."

Cornelia leaned back against the wall at that, staring at the girl. "He…he told you?"

"Yes. I asked and he told me that he planned to execute everyone who had resisted him. I tried to get him to pardon you and Schneizel, but he wouldn't just then. So I came down here to speak to you and to request that you don't do anything to anger him when he speaks to you."

Cornelia stared at Nunnally, not quite able to comprehend what her half sister was saying. Nunnally had always been sweet and innocent, too innocent to really grasp the world the way it truly was. At least Euphy had been able to do that but, in her naivety, she had refused to really see it that way. That Nunnally was now facing the world like this when she could have been safe in Pendragon enjoying the gardens was unthinkable. It was too fast of a change for Cornelia's mind. And it was Lelouch's fault.

If he was less selfish, if he had just left his sister behind in Pendragon where it was safe, Nunnally would have been able to keep that innocence that was one of her most endearing qualities. She would have been able to look at the world and be unable to see only the good in it. She could look at Cornelia and realize all of the things that Cornelia had lied to her about for her own sake or had refused to tell her.

She looked away from Nunnally, suddenly embarrassed to be in her presence. "I can't promise anything."

"Even if it will save your life? Even if would make me happy?"

There was a hint of her old ploy in Nunnally's final question. Cornelia sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Sorry, it's a matter of principle."

"To resist him and die? You two could be working for the same goals and you won't help him because of this?"

"You don't understand, Nunnally."

"Then help me!" Cornelia was surprised that Nunnally sounded so frustrated. She turned to look at Nunnally, her half sister leaning forward with one hand pressed to the plastic. "Tell me why you can't do it and then tell me that I won't understand. I'm just trying to help you."

Cornelia stared at Nunnally, mentally scrambling for the right words. "Whatever he told you, he's lying. Lelouch isn't changing the world, he's lashing out at it. In a few months, he'll be killed because of the way he's acting."

"I get that."

"Well, it's too late for Schneizel and I anyway. Once Lelouch took the throne, we were going to be killed. He doesn't want any member of the royal to remain."

"That's not true."

"Then why did he kill Euphy?"

Nunnally jerked back like she had been burned. "You believe that?"

"Lelouch admitted it." Cornelia cleared her throat, raising one shoulder in the shrug. "And her death looked very suspicious. She was killed on the opening day of something that he did not approve of."

"Cornelia…" Nunnally trailed off and looked down at her lap. "You don't know what those years together were like. If you thought that we were being held prisoner, then you're wrong. We were happy and it was almost like when we were all back at the Aries Villa. We were happy, Cornelia and that includes Lelouch. He never wanted any of us to get hurt."

"But you did."

Nunnally sucked in a quick breath. "But that's life, isn't it? You try and struggle to keep the ones you love safe. You do your best, but sometimes that isn't enough. But you try anyway." She looked down at her lap, her hands resting over the controls of her wheelchair. "I just came to ask you to try not to enrage Lelouch, I still love both you and Schneizel despite what you have done and I just want us all to be happy again."

She turned her wheelchair and started back down the hall, Cornelia staring after her. It was only when Nunnally disappeared from her line of sight that she took a step back and huffed. That had been unsettling and unexpected. And she had been proven wrong, Nunnally was just as innocent and naïve as ever. She hoped that everything would be solved with good behavior and words, which wasn't true. Sometimes there had to be fighting and killing for problems to be resolved, and this had been one of those times. Lelouch had won, so it was her turn to sit back and plot for a way to escape. It was how the real world worked.


	27. Chapter 27

**  
Chapter Twenty-Seven   
**

_October 8, 2018_

He expected to be brought into the interrogation room that the others had been taken to. Instead, he was escorted to the guard break room and handcuffed to the chair there. Schneizel barely spared the guards a glance, focusing on the man sitting in the chair across from him, a cup of tea held in his hand.

Lelouch smiled, raising his cup in a mock toast. "Hello Schneizel. It's a pleasure to have you here."

Schneizel raised an eyebrow and settled back in his chair, moving to fold his hands together only to be brought up short by the handcuffs on his chair. He tugged against them once, testing it out once before returning to the most comfortable position he was allowed. He crossed his legs, staring at his half brother. "Have you just called me up here to taunt me or to try and baffle me?"

"What gives you that idea?"

Schneizel smirked and gestured with one hand at the knight that was standing behind Lelouch. "You have never failed to flaunt the fact that you still have loyal servants since you destroyed all of mine."

"Have I?"

"You have practically molested that poor knight in front of me, Lelouch." Schneizel smiled as he saw Lelouch blush, his half brother ducking his head the next minute. "And you always have him within touching distance when you address your empire, much like I did with a few of my aides. Although, my purpose was to be able to be passed papers faster and with as little fuss as possible. You seem to keep that knight around you for the express purpose of touching him."

"That's a strange conclusion to jump to."

"Is it?" He had Lelouch now, he could tell by the way that Lelouch was avoiding his gaze. "I don't think so, especially knowing what I do about you. And our shared preference for certain things, something I believe that you've kept from-"

Schneizel stopped abruptly at the sound of a sword sliding out from its sheath. He blinked as the point was casually flicked towards him. He glanced at the blade before looking up at the knight that held the other end, ignoring the glare that was being leveled at him. Schneizel just cleared his throat and tipped his head to the side, annoyed when the tip of the sword followed him. "Lelouch, you would do well to teach your knight manners."

"Really? He seems to be behaving fine." Lelouch sipped at his tea before placing the cup on the table and leaning back. He studied Schneizel for a moment before sighing and resting the tips of his fingers on the flat of the blade. "Suzaku, you're offending our guest."

"My apologies your majesty." The sword was withdrawn and put back in its sheath.

Schneizel sighed and leaned forward again, studying Lelouch carefully. After four years in close contact with Lelouch he had learned how to read his little brother well. Of course, that meant that he had to relearn certain tells that he had learned on his brief visits with Lelouch before his mother's death. But that wasn't much of a bother, especially when it was over something as important as this, and it had served him well over the years.

He smirked as Lelouch cleared his throat, his half brother obviously nervous under the intense scrutiny. "You said something about baffling you."

"Ah yes." Schneizel couldn't understand why Lelouch was insisting on being so formal with each other, but he would follow Lelouch's lead for now. He just needed a bit more time to figure his younger brother out. "I can't help but to hear what the other prisoners talk about when they are brought back, as they have to walk past my cell. You're doing a good job in keeping them off balance, talking as if they have a future and asking for their opinion. They walk into a room expecting an interrogation and walk out having spoken of all that they wanted to do for Area 11."

"Japan."

"Yes, Japan." Schneizel narrowed his eyes, having to fight back a real smile as he hit on the reason that Lelouch was acting like this. "You're gloating, brother."

"I'm not."

"You are. Remember, I know you." Schneizel nodded slowly to himself. "You were always like this after your chess matches, reviewing moves and going over the whole match. Of course, there's something helpful in that, but you used it as an opportunity to gloat. You haven't changed much since you were ten."

Lelouch huffed, a good sign. Schneizel rocked back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling before chuckling, deliberately using the noise to draw Lelouch's attention back to him. "Although I didn't think you would use Nunnally in this as well. How did you convince her to do this for you without giving away your plan?"

"Nunnally?"

Schneizel hummed in the back of his throat, still looking at the ceiling. "Yes. Apparently she came down to visit Cornelia and spoke to her. What confusion are you trying to bring there?"

"None at all. She didn't go down there on my orders."

"Your orders?" He finally looked down from the ceiling, staring at Lelouch. All of his probing so far had gotten him nowhere, Lelouch was getting very adept at dodging his questions. But Schneizel still had a good grip on the plan. With his enemies out of the way Lelouch could finally settle down to rule Britannia as he saw fit. There was no doubt that Lelouch would try to mold the world into what Nunnally would want no matter what, forcing the people to do what he said and eventually leading to his own downfall. But Schneizel was sure that Lelouch couldn't see that eventuality, he was too focused on finishing this segment of the plan.

Schneizel shook his head. "You're a lot like our father, Lelouch."

That got his brother's attention, Lelouch tensing. "I am nothing like that man."

"Really?" Schneizel tipped his head to the side, resting the fingers of his free hand against his cheek. "You are making the whole world conform to a single idea on a whim."

"It's not a whim. It's Nunnally!"

"And our father did the same thing to attempt to right the wrongs of his childhood. There isn't much difference. You can protest all you want Lelouch, but everyone can see that you are doing the same thing." Schneizel watched as Lelouch shook his head, waiting for the next cutting response to be delivered. When it didn't come immediately, Schneizel took his chance. "You were his favorite, you know, once you started paying attention to the way that the government worked instead of worrying over Nunnally."

"Liar."

"Well, maybe the second favorite, considering that I am older than you. But he always threatened me with you if I failed." The look of horror on Lelouch's face was worth revealing that secret to him. "After all, if something doesn't work, you replace it with a newer model."

Lelouch shook his head, Schneizel sitting back and waiting for Lelouch to start yelling. As soon as Lelouch was mad enough to just speak without thinking, then he could guide the conversation any way he wanted it. It was an easy enough ploy, Lelouch hadn't spent time enough in places where he would have to negotiate for something, he just demanded at it was done.

To his surprise, Lelouch managed to keep a hold of his temper, the only thing betraying him a slight tremor in his left hand. "Saying that my father believed that means nothing, it changes nothing. Knowing you, Schneizel, you've already started to piece together my plan. So I'll take what little fun there is in that way. You will be executed along with the others, nothing Nunnally says about it will change my mind. You have proved yourself to be too dangerous for what I am going to attempt. If you had done otherwise, maybe this would have ended differently."

Lelouch stood up, leaving his tea cup on the table as he backed away. "I think you'll find that this is checkmate, brother. I win."

Schneizel laughed, standing up as the guards released him from the handcuffs that bound him to the chair. He rubbed at his wrist, watching Lelouch carefully. From where he was standing it looked like he was caught. But how Lelouch easily forgot all the other loses that Schneizel had dealt him and the strategy that he used. Lelouch tended to come up with one plan and stick with it, no matter what the consequences or if another plan was easier or faster. Schneizel always had another plan, and it was probably already set in motion now. All he had to do was wait. And, if it went into motion after his death, it didn't matter. The world would at least be rid of Lelouch.

He didn't have to force a smile on his face as the guards led him away. He just twisted in their hold, looking back at his brother. "I concede to you then, Lelouch."

Schneizel turned away before he could see Lelouch's expression, allowing himself to be led back towards his cell. Lelouch would have this one victory, it wasn't worth much in the end. By the end of the month, Lelouch would be dead anyway.

* * *

 _October 27, 2018_

Cecile flipped her safety glasses onto the top of her head as Lloyd shut the compartment in the time machine. The sakuradite that would power the time traveling component of the car was now in, something they had delayed for a while. Sakuradite that had sat around without the proper suspension material or without being melded with something tended to decay faster. The Knightmare Frames avoided this problem by using the proper suspension material, except in the Lancelot's case where both strategies were used.

The time machine did not have that. From what Suzaku had hinted at, sakuradite had returned to being an untapped resource. Cecile didn't believe that sakuradite mining had been abandoned entirely, but it was severely limited. There was no way that any of the world powers could just stop the mining of the resource, especially since the industry had settled into place, it would disrupt the economy.

She shook her head, peeling off her gloves and walking to the front of the car. Lloyd already had the time machine hooked up to the computer so they could run a few final tests to make sure that it would make it to the future safely. She would be taking Suzaku's place in these tests, he wouldn't be coming down until the day of his departure. Lloyd had pouted when she had demanded that much, but Suzaku deserved to say his goodbyes.

Cecile sighed and slipped into the driver's seat, pulling the key out of her pocket and fiddling with it. She knew that his goodbyes to them would be short, because he was returning to them. He probably didn't realize how much time would have to pass on their end before they saw him again. But she was willing to forgive him that, Suzaku was still young. But there would other goodbyes that would be more painful, like those to his friends, Nunnally and Lelouch.

"Cecile, hurry up! I have ten very angry soldiers asking for repairs to their Knightmares."

She looked up, blindly pushing the key into its place. "Since when have you stuck to a schedule Lloyd?" The scientist huffed and looked away, Cecile laughing and leaning back in the seat. "I think you're getting old and mellow."

"They looked very angry. It's just self preservation."

"Of course." Cecile rolled her eyes and placed her hands on the wheel.

She patiently followed Lloyd's instructions, revving the engine and moving through the screens on the dashboard. There was only one system that they couldn't check, and that was the time travel one. Neither of them dared to get stuck elsewhere in time, especially with Suzaku counting on them to get home. Or at least that's what Cecile's train of thought was. She couldn't tell if Lloyd thought the same thing. He was probably more focused on avoiding a paradox than anything else.

With everything else on the car running smoothly, her only worry was the time travel component. She hadn't been able to understand it, so she had left it to Lloyd. But, then again, Lloyd had only gotten a brief explanation from Suzaku. So they were depending on him to be able to figure out something that he had just discovered in the future. It was a big leap to make, but if anyone could do it, it was Lloyd.

Cecile climbed out of the car as Lloyd motioned for her to shut it off, the scientist already scrambling forward to undo the wires that attached to the car. Tonight it would sit in this room and tomorrow it would be moved into the trailer so they could take it to Shinjuku on the twenty-ninth. They would leave at night so that Suzaku would have the cover of darkness to return. She didn't quite understand why he had put his return off for so long, but she was willing to go along with his idea. It would be hard for him to leave everything behind.

She sighed and leaned against the car, watching as Lloyd scrambled around it, doing a last minute check for anything out of place. He gave her a sideways glance as he worked along the other side of the car. "He's not dying."

"What?"

"You look like you're mourning someone. He's just going back home."

"I know." Cecile sighed and rubbed her forehead. "But I'm going to miss him."

Lloyd paused in his search. "He's coming back to us."

"I know that!" She turned to face him, resting her chin on her hands. "But what about the time in between?"

"We make ourselves busy. The world doesn't end because Suzaku leaves."

Cecile snorted. "I bet you won't even know he's gone."

"Not care about my favorite devicer? You're kidding. Running tests is going to be harder without him around."

"I'm talking about Suzaku, not his job."

"And so am I." Lloyd popped up from the back of the car. He stared at her for a moment before leaning on the trunk, adjusting his glasses. "I don't just call anyone my favorite devicer. Even when you were testing things for me you were just Cecile."

"And?"

Lloyd looked up at her incredulously. "Well, he's my favorite devicer. Enough said."

"And you're willing to just wait for him to show up again?"

"Why not? He said he would and we're obviously important people to him. If the emperor trusts him, then I trust him." Lloyd froze in place, one hand lingering on the wheel of the car. He stared at the armor for a moment before straightening up abruptly, suddenly serious. "But I do wonder what he's doing leaving now."

Cecile shrugged, watching as Lloyd prowled back to the front of the car, running his hands over the armor and talking. "This machine was done months ago and, overlooking a sense of duty and an attachment to our emperor, there was no reason he had to stay. If he returned to the future, simply showing the appropriate documents and having us there as references would be enough to gain Lelouch's trust again, even if the emperor would be much older than he is now. There was no logical reason to continue risking his life."

"You said it yourself. He has a sense of duty."

"Yes, but you would think that he would have resigned or at least started telling people that he's leaving. I think that only Lelouch and ourselves know. He's sneaking out, Cecile."

"So?"

Lloyd tipped his head to the side. "We'd better be prepared."

"For what?"

He shrugged. "Although I am suddenly reminded of an idiom about rats and a ship." Lloyd waved one hand. "Or something like that."

"Like rats deserting a sinking ship?"

Lloyd snapped. "That's the one." He ignored the frightened look on her face, rubbing his hands together and skipping toward the door. "Now, for those Knightmares."

Cecile watched him go, her mouth open in surprise. How he could deliver news like that to her and then just walk off amazed her. Any reasonably sane person would have explained what was going on instead of allowing themselves to be distracted. But that was Lloyd, and she should have been used to his behavior. The man would say something insightful one minute and then be rambling about his Knightmares the next.

She sighed and sank back down, sitting on the edge of the driver's seat. She shook her head, leaning forward until she was staring at the floor. For now, the best thing to do would be to calm down and look over the facts. A plan would come later, when she was sure that Suzaku was on his way. Even if he had promised himself to not reveal anything to them about the future, Cecile was sure that Suzaku would at least give them a hint about what was coming for them. He wouldn't be able to see them suffer. Still, Cecile could try to ease his guilt by figuring it out on her own.

It had to do with the emperor himself, or else Suzaku wouldn't be leaving. He took his duties seriously and was extremely close to Lelouch, almost uncomfortably so for Cecile. She knew about the rumors like most of the people in the Tokyo Settlement, but she also knew that they weren't just rumors. Suzaku had never told her otherwise and she could just see by the way they were around each other. It wouldn't be like Suzaku to just leave with both of those factors, not unless he could explain them away.

The easiest one to take care of was his affection for Lelouch. It could be an arrangement between the two of them or a horrible mistake on Suzaku's part. Lelouch was from the past and Suzaku was from the future. He had known this and had gone into the relationship with that knowledge. Still, Suzaku had said that Lelouch would be thirty-seven when he got back to his proper time. While that was a frighteningly large gap between their ages, Cecile was sure that Suzaku would attempt to make it work.

The thing not so easily explained away was his duty to the emperor. For Suzaku to leave for an unspecified number of years was the problem. Of course, Suzaku knew how long he would be gone, but that wouldn't stop him from feeling guilty for what happened to Lelouch over those years. Unless nothing happened to Lelouch over those years, which was impossible. Lelouch was the emperor of Britannia, the largest empire in the world and, if Lelouch continued in this manner, probably the only country in the world as well. It was impossible for him to go for years without anything happening to him.

Except in one case.

Cecile took a quick breath, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself down. Nothing would happen to Lelouch if he wasn't ruling the empire. And Lelouch wouldn't be ruling the empire for two reasons alone, if he was forced to abdicate the throne or if he died. Suzaku wouldn't leave even if Lelouch was overthrown, he would stay by his emperor's side. So that just left one option.

She gripped the edge of the driver's seat, feeling panicked. She couldn't believe that she had missed it for so long, the way that Suzaku had been preparing to leave, making sure that he would be ready by a specific day. He was from the future, she should have taken the hint from that. He had also been doing everything in his power to keep the emperor alive, only to abandon him now. Lelouch's death had to be a great turning point in history for this to happen, otherwise Suzaku wouldn't allow it and it must be killing him to know that.

She looked up as the door slid open, staring at Lloyd as the scientist lingered in the doorway, continuing the sentence he had probably started on the outside. "-and the data from the last run. Since Suzaku isn't here, you're going to have to fill in. Or you might as well anyway, I have to adjust to your data again. And since you insist on doing the wiring yourself even though I'm perfectly capable, you might as well go ahead." He stared at her for a moment before waving a hand in her direction. "You heard me."

Cecile shook her head, unable to move. Lloyd sighed and walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Have you come down with something? Do I have to get Alex to do this? You know I'd rather not. He's a bit of an idiot with embarrassingly slow reflexes. Cecile?"

She meant to yell at Lloyd to just leave her alone for once, to be normal and focus on real problems instead of his stupid Knightmares. Instead, she only managed to shiver. "Our poor boy."

That seemed to snap Lloyd out of whatever he was thinking, the scientist staring at her before sighing and shaking his head. "He's not ours, Cecile."

"He is! I don't care if he's from the future, he's still ours. He has a place here, with us and we care about him."

Lloyd crouched down in front of her with a smile. "He's our favorite devicer."

She nodded, horrified to find that she was crying. Cecile sniffed and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her coat, ignoring the handkerchief that Lloyd held out for her, she didn't quite trust that it had been kept away from dangerous substances. She heard Lloyd sigh as he stuffed the handkerchief back into his pocket, the scientist rocking back on his heels. "He knew what he was getting himself into from the start, so he knew about this."

"Yes, but it's…" She fumbled for the right words, staring at Lloyd in the dim hope that he would understand.

She couldn't tell if he did or not, the scientist just nodding and adjusting his glasses. "Come out and help when you can Cecile." He waved at her over his shoulder before walking out of the door.

Cecile stared after him, hardly believing that she had gotten out of that without a comparison to a broken tool. She sniffed again, glancing back at the interior of the car. Suzaku would have to leave in two days, leave when he should have been staying behind. And that was their fault. As soon as they had realized that who he was and the time machine had been fixed, they should have sent him back. Cecile couldn't believe that the future would be that badly altered because Suzaku had helped Lelouch win a few battles, and she was convinced that they were battles that he would have won anyway. It would have been better and it would have been easier.

But at least she would have a long time to prepare for the night when Suzaku returned heartbroken. Cecile chuckled to herself, slowly standing up. She wouldn't be able to actually do anything to help Suzaku, but she could be there for him and she would be prepared.

* * *

 _October 28, 2018_

He had spent the entire day with Gino as a way of apologizing for the way he was leaving; although Suzaku couldn't remember had of the stuff that they had done. He had walked around the city in a haze, not even aware of the angry glares that he was sure to have gotten. It didn't matter. Gino had wanted to see the city with Anya again, to help the girl with her memories, so Suzaku had gone with them. He was supposed to have been enjoying every moment with the friends that he had here, but he had been too busy thinking about what he would have to do when he got back and trying not to think about what would come tomorrow.

Suzaku couldn't even remember apologizing to Gino when they walked back into the administrative building late that night. He just remembered Gino's gently pat on his shoulder and a laugh. "Rough night."

"Something like that." Suzaku wasn't even sure that he managed a smile as his friend walked off.

He remained standing in the hallway for a few more minutes, staring at the ground as he tried to get himself together. He was doing a horrible job at pretending nothing was wrong with him. It was the one part of his plan that had to work no matter what, no one could think anything was wrong. So, when he begged out of accompanying Lelouch tomorrow, everyone would assume that it was a family matter, something personal or by Lloyd's order and they wouldn't try to send him along. After all, Lelouch was perfectly safe now, all his enemies were captured and they would be executed tomorrow.

All of them except for the five men waiting in a warehouse, beginning to get their plans together. Those same five men would make for the parade route tomorrow and hide among the guards. By one o'clock, Lelouch would be dead. By two, his body would be torn apart by the frenzied crowds and burnt while the people cheered.

Suzaku pressed a hand over his mouth, feeling his stomach lurch. He could easily dispel the image of the mob desecrating Lelouch's corpse, he had only seen that footage once and had tried his best to forget it since then. What wasn't so easily dispelled was the image of Lelouch sitting on his throne on the parade vehicle, his eyes wide with fear as the assassin spoke to him before pulling the trigger.

He swallowed and turned to run, dashing through the hallways of the administration building without a care of who he ran into. He just had to get to Lelouch, he had to assure himself that the emperor was alright. Then he would be able to sleep tonight, to just curl up around Lelouch had forget that anything bad would happen to him. It was the only thing that would get the image of Lelouch's death out of his head.

Suzaku dodged around the few servants that were in the residence hallway this late at night, ignoring their surprised looks at his haste. He didn't even bother to apologize as he almost pushed a maid over, dodging around her at the last second to race for the door to Lelouch's room.

His fingers fumbled over the code to get in, Suzaku having to pause to calm down before he could actually enter the code. He managed a moment of patience before slipping through the door as soon as it was wide enough for him. He was reaching back to close the door, despite the squeal of protest from the mechanics even as he was staring into the room, picking out the dark shape that was Lelouch.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he crossed the room, sitting down heavily on his side of the bed and resting his head in his hands. It had been stupid and foolish of him to believe that Lelouch was in danger here. The assassins were out there, waiting for him to go along the parade route without a guard. The administration building was too heavily guarded with the high ranking prisoners that were held within. Lelouch would never be safer than he was now.

Suzaku jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder, trying to jerk away only to have Lelouch pull him back onto the bed. He hit the covers with a soft thump, staring up at the emperor.

"What was that all about?"

"Your majesty?"

"You running down the hall?" Lelouch sat back, fluffing up the pillows behind him. "I heard you come down the hall. And even if I didn't, the shouts from the staff were enough. What happened? Did Gino proposition you? I could have him sent back home. His family would be thrilled to have him back."

"No." Suzaku forced himself to laugh, hating how it sounded. "Nothing like that."

"Then tell me, my knight, because I'm confused."

"It was nothing. Just…nothing." He shook his head, sitting up and beginning to undress. He couldn't tell what Lelouch's expression was in the darkness, which was a good thing. If he couldn't see Lelouch, then Lelouch couldn't see him. Suzaku was relatively sure that he could keep what he was thinking out of his voice, but not out of his face. "I was being stupid. It was late and I realized how long I had left you alone. And I'm sorry."

"I've been alone before and it's not like I was unprotected."

Suzaku kicked off his shoes, crawling into bed bedside Lelouch. "Still, I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. 'I'm sorry' takes up half of your conversations." Suzaku jumped as he felt Lelouch's fingers brush over his cheek. "There's nothing that you have to be sorry for."

Suzaku sighed and leaned into Lelouch's touch, feeling himself relax slightly. Here he was safe, the outside world wouldn't intrude for a while and, hopefully, he could forget about it entirely. Suzaku smiled and scooted closer, listening to the rustle of the sheets as Lelouch shifted to allow him that. He pressed his forehead against Lelouch's, feeling Lelouch grab onto his shoulder.

The emperor chuckled. "Better now?"

"Kind of." He heard Lelouch hum, smiling as he felt Lelouch's lips brush across his forehead. "I'm just realizing how little time we have left."

"Ah. The end of October is in three days." Lelouch's arms tightened around him, Suzaku draping himself over the emperor. "We'll have to do something."

"We will."

Suzaku shivered as Lelouch sighed, tipping his head to the side so Lelouch wouldn't be breathing on his neck. Lelouch took the motion as an invitation to kiss him, Suzaku jerking at the first kiss to his neck. "After tomorrow, I'll cancel everything and we'll spend the whole day together."

"That sounds…"

"We might have to make some time for Nunnally, because she's going to miss you almost as much as I am. But the rest of the day would just be for us."

Suzaku felt his stomach twist, the panic from before coming back. Lelouch was talking about a day that would never happen, no matter how hard he tried. They wouldn't spend the next day together or with Nunnally. This was the last time he would see Lelouch again, and it would only be for a few hours. He would have to leave early to make sure all of his stuff with in the time machine before busying himself in the A.S.E.E.C hangar to establish his alibi, if he would even need one. These would be his last hours with Lelouch and he would have to sleep through them.

He shivered, wrapping his arms around Lelouch. He flopped back onto the bed, pulling Lelouch with him. "Hey."

"Hm?"

"Can I just hold you tonight?" He felt Lelouch tense, carefully loosening his hold on the emperor. "I know that you hate cuddling, but…just for tonight."

He felt Lelouch shift in his arms, Suzaku holding his breath as he waited for an answer. This was the one thing that he wanted, the one thing that he could ask for without it looking suspicious. Lelouch was the one who usually initiated anything, Suzaku preferring to stick to simple kisses and slowly building up. Lelouch liked to rush things, he preferred to get to sex with as little foreplay as possible. But that was typical of Lelouch, the emperor wanting to take the shortest and surest route to his goal. The few times that Suzaku had initiated anything Lelouch had followed by asking what was wrong, so it was safer to just avoid that question and just allow himself this one last thing.

Suzaku shut his eyes as he felt Lelouch's fingers brush through his bangs, straightening out his curls and trying to arrange them into some sort of order. He allowed Lelouch to stall, enjoying the soft touches on his face. He really was alright with just holding Lelouch until he had to go, because he just wanted every moment he could with Lelouch before he had to go. And God forbid that he actually do something that would make Lelouch's death more painful.

"Suzaku." He opened his eyes at the sound of his name. "What are you thinking about?"

"How," Suzaku paused to swallow, his throat suddenly dry, "how I don't want to leave."

"But you have to?"

"Yes."

Lelouch chuckled, his fingers drifting down Suzaku's cheek and down his neck. "I'll miss you, my knight."

"I'll miss you too." Suzaku swallowed, feeling his throat constrict. There was nothing to lose now, but nothing to gain from speaking those words. The preface of 'I think' didn't even matter anymore, because he was done trying to decide.

He pressed his forehead against Lelouch's shoulder. "I love you."

He felt Lelouch tense, Lelouch remaining stiff for a moment before he relaxed. To Suzaku's surprise, Lelouch pulled him closer, almost clutching at him. "Yes. I…yes."

Suzaku managed a smile, taking that as his answer. He hadn't expected anything more from Lelouch.

He turned his head, nuzzling Lelouch's neck and listening to the emperor stammer through another attempt before Lelouch just held him, mouthing the words against his skin. And, somehow, that meant more to Suzaku than hearing them out loud.

Then, to his embarrassment, he started to cry.

He felt Lelouch pull back for a moment only to curl more tightly around him, rubbing his back. Suzaku gripped Lelouch's shoulders, trying to pull Lelouch closer. Suzaku didn't want to make Lelouch worry about this, but suddenly it was all too much. He was leaving behind friends that he would never see again and probably making the sweetest girl he had ever known hate him for the rest of his life. He was leaving behind Lelouch and, while he was sure that he would be able to find someone else, it wouldn't be the same. He would be losing the easy companionship between the two of them and his first real relationship.

If he had been better, smarter, he could have figured out a way to change the future without killing Lelouch. But he had been too scared at the start, too scared of a world that he didn't know and the idea of having the future that he was comfortable and happy in changed for the worse. Now he could probably figure out a way to change it for the better with Lelouch still alive and on the throne, but it was too late for that; going back to the Battle of Shinjuku would just cause a paradox because he was already there. It would impossible to get close enough to Lelouch without meeting himself because of how close they had been. Unwittingly, he had managed to sabotage himself from really fixing anything.

And now he felt like a girl, crying over things that he couldn't change on his boyfriend's shoulder. Suzaku swallowed, biting his lip as he tried to calm himself down. He had made his choice and he had to be happy with it. He had known that getting close to people in this time would hurt in the end, so it was his own fault that he was hurting.

Suzaku lifted his head from Lelouch's shoulder, rubbing his face against his forearm, drying off his tears.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just being an idiot." Suzaku gave a wry smile, not sure if Lelouch could see it or not, before trying to pull away.

Lelouch didn't let him, keeping his tight hold on Suzaku. "No. You asked for this and you're going to get it. Now come on, cuddle." Suzaku stared at Lelouch, the emperor sighing and pulling Suzaku's head back down to his shoulder. "That's an order from your emperor."

"Yes, your majesty." The reply was automatic, Suzaku settling into place and taking a deep breath. He cautiously draped one leg over Lelouch, leaving it there when the emperor didn't protest.

He closed his eyes, expecting not to get any sleep, not with all of his regrets and worries. But, when he opened his eyes after what felt like five minutes, he found that they had shifted. Suzaku was sleeping on his back, as he usually did, but Lelouch had followed him, curling up against his side in his usual early morning position. Suzaku smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of Lelouch's head before looking over at the clock.

His smile disappeared as he stared at the display. It was four in the morning, too early for most people to be up, but the servants would be beginning to move. In two more hours, the soldiers would start to assemble for the guard around Lelouch and the assassins would move into place.

Suzaku glanced back at Lelouch, biting his lip as he carefully wiggled out of Lelouch's arms. The emperor whimpered, reaching for him before curling up in the warm spot that Suzaku had left behind. Suzaku reached out to touch Lelouch, pulling his hand back at the last minute. He didn't have time to linger, he just had to leave.

He turned his attention to his schoolbag that sat by the couch, crouching by it and carefully rifling through its contents. Everything was there, except for his clothes. Suzaku stared at the bag before moving to the closet, grabbing his more casual outfit and pulling it on, pausing as he stared at the two uniforms. No one else would need them and he wanted to keep them. He wanted them for the memories and the little bit of pride he had in being able to impress Lelouch enough to get those positions.

He reached out and pulled them off their hangers, folding them carefully as he looked around the room. There was nothing else to do here, and he couldn't delay any longer. Suzaku slipped his feet into his shoes and padded over to retrieve his schoolbag. Then he was out the door, walking down the hall.

Suzaku rummaged in his bag with one hand, pulling out the letter he had written to Nunnally. He had to get this to her, but he wasn't sure where she would find it. He sighed, stopping in front of her room. He wouldn't leave it with Lelouch's plans, because he wasn't sure what would happen to them before Nunnally got them, and he didn't want this letter getting lost. Her room would be the best choice then.

He fumbled through the code, putting the door on manual at the last minute. It would be easier to slip in and out of the room without the whir of machinery, even though Nunnally slept soundly. He swallowed and pushed the door open, quickly walking across the room.

The letter was placed on her bedside table, Suzaku turning around and leaving before he could look at her. He didn't want to remind himself of anything right now, his mind was comfortably blank. He would deal with the consequences from his decision later, when he was back home and safe.

Suzaku managed to make it out of the administration building without seeing anyone. But he stopped in the shadow of the building, staring out at the complex. He frowned and tipped his head back, trying to catch a glimpse of the gardens on the roof, only to be disappointed. They would be gone within a year, this whole area demolished to wipe the last remaining reminder of the Demon Emperor away. In its place, houses would be built that would later be used by scientists. He closed his eyes, mentally tracing the path to his home. He wouldn't actually be able to find it now, but he was sure that he could retrace the path to when the administration building was when he returned to his own time. He opened his eyes with a long sigh and forced himself to walk out of the shadow of the building.

The walk to the A.S.E.E.C hangar went by faster than ever before, probably because he was dreading every step that he took. He knew that no one would be there, save for Lloyd, but even that was a bit of a deterrent. He didn't want to face the scientist, he just wanted to crawl into the time machine and hide.

He snuck into the hangar, sticking to the shadows. He peered around the corner, surprised to see that the area where the Knightmares were was completely deserted. Suzaku frowned but dashed over to the door on the other side, typing in the code and slipping through.

The time machine was waiting, the sheet that usually covered it pulled back. Suzaku glanced back at where the sakuradite was put into the car. He knew that Lloyd and Cecile would have made sure that the machine was ready to go, but he would ask anyway, just in case.

He made his way around to the other side of the car, opening the door and tossing his stuff into the passenger's seat. He pulled out the last two letters before straightening up, about to shut the door when a sticky note on one of the screens caught his eye. Suzaku frowned and reached in to pick it up, staring at Cecile's neat handwriting.

 _'Clean out your locker. The flight suit in there wasn't made to just sit in a museum.'_

Suzaku chuckled, balling up the note and tossing it into the trashcan before heading for the small room where the lockers were kept. He would have been willing to leave the suit behind, especially since it was a part of the Lancelot; although, technically, it was a part of his uniform. He had the cape with the rest of his things, but it didn't really belong to anything other than the flight suit. Suzaku shook his head, opening his locker.

He spent a moment staring at the suit, the only one he had since his original one had been torn to pieces when they had cut him out of the Lancelot and during the surgery that had followed. He smiled fondly at it, reaching out to grasp the edge. He pulled it around so he could see the design on the front, his fingers sinking into the extra padding that was on that side. Suzaku's throat constricted as he reached up to touch the stiff collar, running his fingers down to where the padding started again.

Lelouch had designed this specifically for him, to protect his injuries and to keep him from getting hurt again. Lelouch had done this because he had cared for Suzaku and because he had been genuinely afraid for him. Suzaku remembered those last few days in the hospital and in the small room off of Lelouch's vividly. There hadn't been a day that had gone past without Lelouch sitting by his side for an hour or two; more often than not Lelouch would stay for the whole day when Suzaku had been relocated. Lelouch had been worried about him, so he had made a flight suit to ensure that Suzaku wouldn't get hurt, because he cared. That's what people did for the ones that they loved, they tried to make sure that they would never get hurt.

Suzaku carefully pulled the flight suit off the hanger, hugging it to his chest. Then, he folded it quickly, making sure that none of the dangling crystals were showing. Out of everything that he had, he wanted to get this back home in one piece.

He turned and walked out of the small room, going up to where the computers were. There, he left the notes to Cecile and Lloyd, knowing that they would find them or they would be delivered to them. He was about to turn away when he saw the pen and pad of paper sitting off to one side.

Suzaku found himself staring at a corner of the paper while the clutched the flight suit to his chest. It wouldn't need to be that big of a scrap of paper, just enough to write a building number and an address. No one would begrudge him that small bit of paper, especially when it would be so easy just to scribble the right numbers down and make sure that it got to Jeremiah on time. But Lelouch had to die, it was the reason that the world was at peace, that no one had tried to rebuild Britannia or another old empire. If the world wasn't relieved that he was gone and so desperate to keep it from happening again, then everything that he had done here was ruined.

He looked down at the suit, tipping it to the side so the light could catch on the red jewel at the front. He could do that, or he could walk away right now, happy that the future would be right. But the problem was that he cared, he cared too much.

Suzaku turned, ripping off a scrap of paper and quickly writing an address down on it. He paused and then scribbled a quick note. There was no telling if they would actually be there when Jeremiah looked, but he could at least guide the man to the right spot. He tucked the scrap of paper into the pocket, detouring to where the car was to drop off the flight suit before turning and running out of the hangar.

The first thing he had to do was find someone and give them the right instructions. Suzaku ran to where the barracks were, quickly finding a soldier that was up. He grabbed their arm, the soldier turning to look at him in surprise before attempting a bow. "Sir Kururugi."

"Not now." Suzaku pulled the scrap of paper from his pocket, pressing it into the man's hand. "I need you to make sure that this gets to Jeremiah Gottwald."

"But, he's out inspecting the route right now. He won't be back for a while. Then he's inspecting the troops and assisting in loading the prisoners and-"

"I know. And I don't care how you get this to him, but make sure it happens."

The soldier gave a shaky nod, Suzaku taking that for his answer. He didn't have time for formalities.

He let go of the soldier's arm and turned to jog away, leaving the confused soldier behind him. With that done, he could focus on the next few steps. He and Lelouch had prepared for a faked assassination and he had been ready to use the set up for his excuse to leave. He would have verbally given Lloyd and Cecile the instructions to make it look like a Knightmare accident, to keep anyone from opening his coffin, because he wouldn't be in it. It had been too good of a plan to let it go to waste. And now, he could use all of it to his advantage, although now it would involve some dangerous guesswork. But he was sure that he could do that, of all the things that he had ever done in his life, this was the most important.

Suzaku paused to catch his breath, glancing at the administrative building and the area surrounding it. People were just starting to move about, most of them in a rush. He wouldn't stick out and people wouldn't remember him well enough to say what he was doing. He smiled to himself, taking a step to the side to stare across the grounds towards where the hospital was. That would be his last stop before going to take his place.

He turned his head and glanced at the building behind him, quickly looking around before slipping into the storage room and beginning to dig through the bins.

* * *

 _October 29, 2018_

Parades and processions were, perhaps, the most boring part of his duties as emperor. Lelouch gazed out over the crowd, keeping his expression neutral. Both of them involved moving slowly over a long stretch of road while people stared. At least he was able to just sit and look somber instead of smiling and waving. Lelouch would take this over a parade any day. It didn't help that he was in a bad mood as well.

Suzaku had left before he had properly woken up. He remembered Suzaku getting out of bed and trying to pull his knight back, but then he had drifted back to sleep. When he had actually woken up, he was in an irritable mood and curled up in the spot that Suzaku had vacated. Trying to catch another hour of sleep curled around a pillow hadn't helped, and that pillow was probably still sitting against the wall that he had thrown it at in a fit of anger.

It wasn't just because of Suzaku that he was mad, although he had gotten used to having the knight around him at all times. It was the fact that he was deliberately doing something that would upset Nunnally. Killing Schneizel and Cornelia was something that he had to do if he wanted the future of Britannia and the world to be secure, but Nunnally wanted them to live, wanted things to go back to the way that they were. He had promised her that he would find some way to let them live and then done no such thing. Lelouch wasn't looking forward to the few days that Nunnally would be angry at him or the explanation that he would have to give to her when she did decide to talk to him again.

That and he had never actually enjoyed killing his siblings. He never enjoyed killing anyone. Faceless soldiers were easier to get over because he hadn't known then and because they had chosen to side with the enemy. The soldiers knew what they were getting into. People that he knew were different, they were personalities and his own feelings about them all tied together to make killing that much harder. He never hesitated, but it was enough to make him spend some time in a bad mood. Never mind that it was the two siblings that had annoyed him the most during his rule, they were still his siblings. Cornelia had spent time with him and Nunnally before their mother had been killed and Schneizel had taught him to play chess.

Lelouch closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and shifting in his throne. It didn't matter what they had done then, he was judging them for their crimes against the empire rather than their friendliness to him and Nunnally before this war. In remembrance of whatever attachment he still had towards them, he would make their deaths quick.

The other prisoners would be different. He would lead the few that he had decided would be good for the future of Japan off to the side to be freed while the others were publically executed. There was a chance that they would try to start another rebellion, but they wouldn't be able to gather the strength and act fast enough to be the ones to topple him. Even though he had not found a suitable replacement, Lelouch was sure that he would be off of the throne and with Nunnally by the end of December. Then they would be somebody else's problem.

He rested his cheek against his hand, looking at the crowds that lined the streets. For the most part they were silent, an unsettling thing. In his experience crowds were supposed to be loud, whether it was because they were praising or cursing him. Silence meant that something was wrong. But a glance at the guards around the base of his vehicle showed that nothing was actually wrong. They would move to protect him if something happened, and there were Knightmares ahead and behind them. Infrared sensors were better than human eyes for seeing into the buildings or traps ahead. He was completely surrounded and safe. Although, he would feel safer with Suzaku at his back.

That was another problem on his list to solve although, considering the limited time he had to solve it, it should be the first one that he addressed. Suzaku was leaving at the end of the month and it was obviously affecting him. Lelouch was looking towards the last day of October with the same horror, but he was better at hiding his emotions than Suzaku.

The only solution that he had come up with so far to help his knight was to just spend a day with him, the last day they would have together before Suzaku left. He would have to include Nunnally at one point, because she would be devastated if Suzaku left without saying goodbye, but it would be awkward, especially since Nunnally would still be refusing to speak to him. But he was sure his sister could put her anger aside for a little bit for Suzaku's sake. After all, Suzaku meant so much to the both of them.

Lelouch cleared his throat, glad he was far enough away from the crowds that they didn't see him blush. He just had to worry about the cameras trained on him.

Suzaku's announcement the night before had surprised him. He had thought that Suzaku would finally let those three words slip at a romantic time, since Suzaku tended towards being a romantic in the first place. He hadn't been prepared for them at that moment. And he had hoped to be more prepared for his own answer instead of just saying yes. He hadn't been able to speak the words out loud, despite the fact that he had mentally been preparing himself for months. At least Suzaku had been able to understand. Suzaku understanding what he really meant was enough for him.

Lelouch settled back on his throne, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. This was entirely the wrong time to be feeling happy about his relationship with his knight, especially since he suspected that it had been an established relationship longer than the two of them were willing to admit. Embarrassing as it was, it really did make him feel better to know that Suzaku loved him and that the words were actually spoken out loud instead of Lelouch just picking up the physical cues.

But it was entirely the wrong time to be thinking about this. There were prisoners to execute and Suzaku would be leaving. He would deal with Suzaku and the emotions associated with him later.

He blinked as he felt the vehicle he was on slowed, turning his attention away from the building he had been staring at to the front of the cavalcade. The Knightmares in the front were slowing, Lelouch seeing the edges of the covers of the Factspheres. So they had seen something and were checking it out. Lelouch sighed and settled back into his seat, watching the Knightmares carefully. He would know in a few minutes if something was wrong.

When his vehicle actually stopped, Lelouch knew that there was trouble. He leaned back in his seat, feeling the gun that he had concealed in his robes move. He sighed, trying to keep himself looking calm. The gun had been a last minute addition, something he had demanded when Suzaku hadn't shown up, probably because Lloyd had demanded his presence for something. And, with the number of guards around him, Suzaku technically wasn't needed.

There was a gasp from the crowd, Lelouch turning his head as the crowd suddenly began to speak, all of them staring down the street. Lelouch tensed, glancing back down the street to postpone looking at whatever was ahead. There was something there, he knew that, the Knightmares wouldn't have stopped and the crowd wouldn't have reacted if there wasn't.

He finally turned to face the front, staring at the man on the road. His heart started pounding faster as he recognized the uniform that the man was wearing. It was the uniform that the foot soldiers wore, brown boots, pants and a long sleeved shirt covered in brown body armor. Like most of the other soldiers that had lined the route and walked with the prisoners, the person had the helmet on, so it was impossible to identify them.

Lelouch clutched at the armrests on his throne, swallowing nervously. The soldier in front of them was holding a gun, threatening the whole cavalcade by himself. But that just meant that it would be easy for them to kill the soldier. After all, it was just one man. It had to just be one man.

Another gasp from the ground made Lelouch look down at the ground, his eyes widening as he saw two guards pull themselves up onto the vehicle that he was on, the two of them standing on the lower platform. For a moment, the two stared at each other before the one on the right jumped back down, immediately pulling out a gun and beginning to shoot at the guards on that side and those that surrounded the prisoners. The soldier that had remained on the platform below him turning to look at Lelouch and began running up the slope towards him.

Lelouch pressed himself back into his seat, trembling as the man gained the top of the slope. He couldn't hear the shouts from the crowd or from his own guards as they tried to get up to him. He could only see the man in front of him.

The assassin stepped forward slowly, pulling a knife from his belt. Lelouch stared at the weapon, jumping when he remembered his gun. He scrambled to his feet, leaning back from the knife as he fumbled for the gun. He had just begun to pull it free when the assassin moved forward, grabbing the gun and throwing it off the platform. Lelouch turned his head to watch it fall, his mouth dropping open. His next thought was to call for Suzaku, except the knight wasn't there, so he was helpless.

His attention was jerked back to the assassin as the man stuffed something in his robe, switching the knife to his other hand and grabbing onto the back of Lelouch's neck. Lelouch tried to protest, but the assassin moved too fast, jerking Lelouch forward and onto the knife. Lelouch gasped as he felt something prick his stomach and the back of his neck, distracted from the latter by the sticky warmth on his chest.

Blearily, Lelouch pressed a hand to his chest, drawing it away coated in blood. He stared at his hand for a moment, taking a while to process that it was his blood. Lelouch looked back at the assassin, his vision darkening around the edges as he slumped forward, his hand scrambling for purchase on the assassin's shoulder and leaving streaks of blood.

He felt the shoulder that his head was resting on jerk as the assassin pulled out the knife and threw it to the ground, Lelouch staring after it. The knife was coated to the hilt in blood, his blood. He closed his eyes, trying to keep himself upright as his knees shook. Any moment now the assassin would push him back onto his throne or throw him over the side of the vehicle and leave him here to die.

There was a click from beside him, Lelouch fighting to keep his eyes open as he stared at the assassin, slowly realizing that the mask had dropped to reveal the lower half of the assassin's face. He stared at his killer's chin, too scared to really process what was going on and unable to think, probably because of blood loss. Not thinking, he called for his knight, wanting to be safe. "S-Suzaku."

He felt one of the assassin's hands dip down to his lower back, Lelouch briefly pushed up close to the assassin. "Yes, your majesty."

Then everything went black.

* * *

Nunnally jumped at the knock to her door, glancing at the letter that had her name on it before putting it down to the side. She would read it later. She rolled her wheelchair over to the door, opening it from the inside.

A soldier stumbled in, glancing around before going around to the back of Nunnally's wheelchair. "We have to get you to a safer place, my lady."

"Why? What's going on?" Nunnally twisted in her seat to look at the radio that she had in her room. She hadn't turned it on to listen to the executions because she had a feeling that Lelouch hadn't found a way to save their siblings. She didn't want to listen to an announcer speak about Cornelia and Schneizel with words that Lelouch had concocted. She wanted to remember them for who they were.

The soldier shook his head, pushing her out into the hallway. "Later, once you're safe."

"My radio!"

Her escort paused before running back into the room. Nunnally thanked him in a small voice, clutching the radio as she was wheeled to the elevator and taken to the safe room four floors below the residence hall.

There were a few guards scattered about, most of them looking distracted. To her surprise, they rushed away as soon as she got there. Nunnally watched them go as her guard pushed her into the room, closing the door behind the two of them. Once the guard was sure that they were secure, he sat down heavily on the bench, rubbing a hand over his face.

Nunnally waited patiently for the man to speak, resisting the urge to turn on her radio. For all she knew, the stations would be down, especially if the situation was as bad as it looked. If the guards were rushing around and they were only leaving her with one, and one that wasn't one of her two knights, then things were going very badly.

Finally, the guard looked up at her, looking exhausted. "There's a mob."

"A mob?"

"Yes." The soldier pulled a phone out of his pocket, both of them surprised to see a scrap of paper drift to the floor. The soldier scooped it up and handed Nunnally the phone. "Jeremiah ordered me to get you to safety and said that you should call him as soon as you were here. I think it would be better to get the news from him and then follow up on what is going on with the radio. I'm not sure how much of a help that will be with everything going on though."

"Thank you." Nunnally tried her best to smile. She glanced down at the written list of numbers already programmed into the phone. With shaking fingers, she entered the number for Jeremiah, holding the phone up to her ear as it rang.

The ringing continued for what seemed like an eternity, Nunnally pressing the phone against her ear. She glanced once at the soldier, staring at the scrap of paper that the man held in his hands. She was distracted from asking what was on the paper when the ringing stopped.

For the first few moments all she heard was shouting, Nunnally picking out Jeremiah's voice above the others. But it was too noisy to make out any of the words themselves. Nunnally bit her lip, staring at the soldier as she waited. Jeremiah knew that the phone was ringing, he had picked it up. She just had to wait until he was done issuing orders.

"Lady Nunnally!" She jumped as he shouted into the phone, holding it a bit away from her ear. "Are you safe?"

"Yes, the guard that you ordered to come and get me has. We're in the safe room. Now, please, tell me what's going on. The guard said that there was a mob."

"There is a mob and-" Nunnally winced as Jeremiah shouted an order, waiting for him to return to the conversation. "A dangerous mob. We're pulling back as much as possible, but we've lost the prisoners."

"What?"

"The mob rushed us after…" Jeremiah trailed off, Nunnally clutching at the phone as she waited for the news. "Nunnally, there were assassins in the guards."

"No."

"I wasn't…we weren't fast enough. They killed the emperor. I am sorry, my lady."

Nunnally stared at the wall ahead of her, her hands shaking. "They killed Lelouch?"

"Yes, my lady. We tried to stop them, but they were just too quick. One stabbed Lelouch and then took off with his body. We're searching for him now, but the crowd began to riot. We're trying to keep it away from you and search for the assassins. Stay in there no matter what."

Nunnally nodded, pressing her lips together to keep from making any noise. A tap on her shoulder made her turn, the soldier gesturing for her to hand over the phone. Nunnally passed it over, dropping her head into her hands and sobbing. Those people had taken her brother away when he was just trying to help them. They had taken away her mother and now her brother, she had no one left. Cornelia and Schneizel had always been close to her, but it wasn't the same. Her brother had always been there, her entire life. There had never been a moment when Lelouch hadn't existed, and now there was, and she didn't know what to do.

She lifted her head to wipe her tears away, shocked to see that the soldier was still on the phone. She sniffed and turned her wheelchair to look at him, setting the radio on the bench. News was still coming in and she needed to know it. What if they had just injured Lelouch and carried him off? It wasn't the logical thing to do, but it was something.

The soldier looked at her and shook his head, his gaze dropping to the scrap of paper. "Jeremiah, I was given information to pass on to you as soon as possible." Nunnally didn't hear the reply on the other end of the line, but she saw the soldier wince. "Sir, I couldn't get a hold of you until now. The address I was given is to a warehouse by the docks, perhaps where those assassins are hiding. That's where they'll regroup before leaving."

Nunnally held her breath, watching as the soldier nodded. "Right. Yes, sir."

He hung up the phone and looked at her, flinching and looking away. "Let's try the radio now."

"A-alright." Nunnally turned it on, gripping the armrests of her wheelchair as she waited for the man to start speaking.

"The army is trying to subdue the mob, and they've managed to keep the area around the administration building clear. I don't know what happened to the prisoners, they've disappeared, including the two royals. There have been no reports from those in charge of the army, but they're busy trying to handle the people. From our station I can see at least three fires and there reports of more breaking out as people celebrate the death of the emperor."

Nunnally whimpered, barely feeling the hand on her shoulder. Celebrate? Since when did people celebrate death? And these people had no right to celebrate his death, they didn't know him. They had seen the act that Lelouch had put on, but no one had really known him, no one except those close to him.

She wiped the tears away from her eyes, shivering and leaning forward. She wanted to know what was going on, if she would have to run for Pendragon to really be safe. If that was the case, then she would be able to lose herself in grief completely. Lelouch had worked so hard to make sure that she would be safe, she wouldn't fail him by getting herself killed because she was crying. She had to be strong, like her brother had been.

"Hold on!" Nunnally sat up as the announcer spoke up again, leaning forward in her chair. "Alright, I'm relaying this from someone who has binoculars. It looks like…it looks like…Oh God, the crowd has the emperor."

"NO!" She wasn't aware that she had shouted, or that the soldier had wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders.

"Yes, the crowd has the emperor. Sam can make out the bloodstained robes. And…They're what, Sam?" There was some muttering in the background, probably the two speaking before the announcer sighed. "Look, I don't want to say this, but people need to listen to be able to make decisions. The crowd has the emperor. They're tearing his body apart and throwing the parts into the nearest fire."

"Lelouch!" Nunnally screamed her brother's name as the soldier leaned forward and shut the radio off. The next moment he was kneeling on the floor, apologizing to her and tentatively holding her hand. He reminded her of Lelouch in that moment, his position the exact same that her brother had used whenever he had wanted to speak with her. Without thinking, Nunnally threw her arms around his neck and sobbed onto his shoulder.

Nunnally cried until the tears stopped falling, sniffing and trying to pull away from the soldier, only then realizing the awkward situation that she had put him in. To her surprise, he placed a hand on her shoulder, exerting a little bit of pressure. "If you need to cry more, my lady, it's alright with me. I won't begrudge you this."

"No, I'm-" Nunnally cut herself off. She wasn't fine, she felt horrible and she was probably going to cry once she was alone again. "I'm finished."

"Alright." The soldier rocked back onto his heels, keeping close to her, something that she was grateful for. She didn't want to be alone right now, not when she felt like crying still. She had never done well with grief when she was alone because there had always been someone there; Lelouch had always been there.

"How did this happen?"

Nunnally wasn't aware that she had spoken aloud until she heard the soldier sigh. "I don't know. Jeremiah checked the people who would be acting as the guard before they left, so they must have slipped in afterward. And then…well it happened so fast that no one could actually do anything. But the time the soldiers realized what was happening and had pulled out their guns, the emperor had already been stabbed."

"But…there was someone up there with him. They should have been able to act faster than the rest of you."

The soldier stared at her in confusion, slowly shaking his head. "My lady, no one was up with him."

"That can't be right." Nunnally took a breath, trying to sort out her thoughts. But it was hard because the crowd had done horrible things to her brother, her dead brother. And she just wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come. "That's not right. Suzaku was up there with him. Sir Kururugi is…was my brother's personal knight. He would have been with Lelouch."

"Lady Nunnally, no one was there. The emperor's knight never went with the prisoners. And I don't think anyone has seen him today…at least not after I saw him." The soldier frowned and stared at the floor. "But he wasn't with the emperor today, I know that much."

That wasn't right. Suzaku had promised her, on many separate occasions that he wouldn't let anything happen to Lelouch. He had told her that she could trust him with Lelouch. It's why she had been willing to let them get close. Suzaku would keep Lelouch safe from the people who wanted to kill him and Lelouch would be happy with Suzaku around. They had even been planning to allow Suzaku to go into hiding with them. They had allowed Suzaku to get close, but he had failed Lelouch when he needed his knight. He had lied to Nunnally.

She sat up, reaching for the controls of her wheelchair. All her grief was focused on this one idea, quickly turning to anger. The one time that Lelouch had needed his knight and Suzaku had failed. And where was Suzaku now? That was a question she was going to answer immediately.

Nunnally maneuvered around the guard, heading for the door. She ignored his questions, reaching up to type the code in before heading out into the hall. She managed to get a few feet from the safe room before the guard caught up, grabbing onto her wheelchair.

"Lady Nunnally, you can't go out."

"I have to." She turned to glare at him. "I don't care if it's dangerous. I need to know why Suzaku wasn't there when my brother needed him. I need to find him!"

The soldier looked away before nodding slowly, keeping his grip on the wheelchair. "Then I'll come with you."

"That's not necessary."

"It is. We've already lost the emperor, so we can't lose you. Who knows if the assassins have managed to sneak back here during the commotion or if any of the resistance leaders want a chance at revenge."

Nunnally sighed and nodded, surprised when the soldier smiled at her. She hadn't expected his reaction to be one of gratitude, just annoyance because she was making him disobey his orders. She leaned back in her chair and allowed herself to be pushed down the hall. Nunnally was hyperaware of the way that the solider was bent slightly over her and the absence of the people in the building. But that just worked in their favor, they could move quickly through the halls.

"Where to, my lady?"

She bit her lip, glancing at the doors that were looming in front of them, staring at the yard. "The A.S.E.E.C hangar. Then we'll search the grounds."

"And if he's not there."

"Then I will send out the order to find him." This was the one thing she couldn't fail for her brother's sake. She had to find Suzaku and demand to know why he hadn't been there when Lelouch had needed her and why he had lied to her.


	28. Chapter 28

** Chapter Twenty-Eight **

_October 29, 2018_

Suzaku leaned his forehead against the mirror over the sink, panting for breath. Everything had gone according to plan, he had to smile at that. Everything had gone the way he had planned it and it was worth the death of one man to pull it off. He swallowed and pulled back from the mirror, glancing the door into the locker room. Anyone could come in at any time, so he had to hurry. He swallowed and turned his attention to his bloodied hands.

He had managed to wipe most of the blood off on Lelouch's robes, but he wanted all of it gone. It was a reminder of what he had done, something that would probably haunt him for the rest of his life. Suzaku took a deep breath before scrubbing his hands under the running water, working the blood out of the lines on his palms and from around his nails. He paused a moment to check for blood under his nails before turning off the water and toweling off his hands. He should have kept his gloves on for when he had moved the body, but he had wanted to plant the knife and the bloody gloves as sure evidence.

Suzaku peered out from the locker room, making sure that the hangar was clear before dashing to the room where the time machine was kept. He would be in here for the rest of the day, until Lloyd and Cecile came to load the time machine into the trailer. That gave him plenty of time to take care of everything that he needed to do.

The door slid open, Suzaku barely listening to it shut behind him as he jogged around the time machine, smiling as he saw the figure on the other side of the car. He sighed with relief, crouching down beside Lelouch and brushing his fingers through Lelouch's bangs. He allowed himself a moment just to look at Lelouch before checking his pulse. Suzaku had guessed at Lelouch's weight and how fast it would act when he had drugged Lelouch on the platform. But the dosage had worked, Lelouch's heartbeat was normal and there were no side effects that Suzaku could see. He would have to stick close to make sure that Lelouch didn't wake up too soon, but he was ready for that.

He glanced up into the time machine. The little cardboard box with the drug and the syringe was sitting by his schoolbag on the floor, resting right next to his clothes. He would probably have to use it again before they traveled, just to make sure that Lelouch remained under long enough for him to save Lloyd and Cecile and to get them all home. He could explain there.

Suzaku returned his gaze to Lelouch, carefully pulling back the portion of the tarp that he was using to cover Lelouch. Currently, Lelouch was wrapped in a blanket, one that he had grabbed at the warehouse that the assassins had used as their base. When he had returned to the A.S.E.E.C hangar, he had been too afraid to dress Lelouch, not with everyone in a panic nearby.

He sighed and allowed himself to sit on the floor, resting his hand over Lelouch's heart. Rescuing Lelouch had probably been the stupidest thing he had ever decided to do in his life. He had only come up with part of a plan when he had joined the guard that surrounded the base of Lelouch's vehicle and had already run into a problem. If he wanted the people to be sure that Lelouch was dead, he would have to produce a body. That had almost sent him into a panic but, thankfully, the signal for the other assassins had come before that.

Suzaku had almost failed when the real assassin had climbed up to the platform at the same time that he had, but the other man had backed down, leaving Suzaku to run up the platform and grab Lelouch. It had been a struggle, first to get the packet of blood into Lelouch's robes so it looked like Lelouch had actually be stabbed. Then it had been juggling the knife and the needle so that the crowd would see one and not the other, but he had managed it. The crowd hadn't guessed that he was a fake, and Lelouch hadn't know it either.

Still it had been close. He'd had to watch as Lelouch realized that he was alone without protection and how scared Lelouch had gotten. It had taken everything that he had to try not to comfort Lelouch. Instead he had made sure that Lelouch was out of it enough to slide back down the slope and rush for the escape route that the other assassins had prepared.

Thankfully, only one of the assassins had followed him back to the warehouse, the man laughing and pulling off his helmet before Suzaku could remove his. Suzaku had only a moment to notice the man's black hair before the man was suggesting they throw Lelouch to the crowds and let them do what they wanted with the body.

Suzaku had lost his temper then and shot the man through the heart with his gun. Even now he felt a little bit guilty about his action, but he was still getting over the anger from the initial action. That man had just casually suggested that they throw Lelouch out into a crowd of people who hated him to be desecrated. The shot had been in defense of his emperor, and that's what he had to keep telling himself.

He looked down at Lelouch, gently lifting a hand from the tarp to kiss the back of it, holding onto it to keep himself centered. Lelouch was here and alive, he had defended him and had gotten exactly what he had needed.

It had been simple to make the switch. He just had to close the dead assassin's eyes and put the assassin in Lelouch's robes. Lelouch had been wrapped up in a blanket and carefully placed in the shadows of the warehouse. Suzaku had then run the dead assassin outside, placing him close to the rioting crowds before returning to Lelouch. It had been a desperate ploy to present a body, but the crowds had seemed to accept it if the cheering and screaming that Suzaku had heard on his way back was anything to go by.

The gloves and the knife had been left at the warehouse and Suzaku had made his way back to the hangar with Lelouch.

Suzaku sighed, leaning his head back to rest against the car. He couldn't sit here much longer, he needed to get Lelouch out of that blanket and into real clothes for the journey home. Suzaku shifted so he was kneeling on the ground, reaching into the car to pull out the black slacks and white button down shirt of his Ashford Academy uniform. It was the closest thing he had to casual clothes besides the clothes that he wore.

He crouched beside Lelouch, pulling the emperor up so he could pull the pants on. It was a struggle to get them over Lelouch's hips, especially with Lelouch slipping out of his grip. Suzaku grunted, shifting his hold on Lelouch to one hand while the other tugged the pants into place. With a sigh of relief, Suzaku set Lelouch gently down on the blanket, buttoning up the pants before turning his attention to Lelouch's torso.

There was still some blood from the packet that he had stuffed down Lelouch's robes. Suzaku frowned and walked out of the room. He needed to get the blood off before he put anything else on Lelouch. He wanted to make Lelouch as comfortable as he could for the long journey back.

He ducked into the locker room again, soaking a towel in water before returning to Lelouch. He carefully dabbed the blood away, wincing when he revealed a tiny scratch on Lelouch's chest. He hadn't meant to hurt Lelouch, he just wanted to make sure that the knife had gone all the way through so that the blood leaked out. Suzaku leaned over, checking the scratch before cleaning it too. Only then did he carefully pull the white shirt only Lelouch, doing up the buttons before laying him back down on the makeshift bed.

Suzaku checked Lelouch's pulse again before standing, gripping the bloodstained towel in one hand. He had to get rid of this, but he didn't want to take it to the future with him, it was completely useless. He could always throw it in the laundry basket in the locker room, there was at least one bloody towel in there a week because someone had gotten cut. But would the people who did the laundry for the A.S.E.E.C actually pay attention to their bloody towels this week because of what happened to the emperor? He mentally debated the question before decided to risk it. If they did question why the towel was in there or test the blood, it would just prove that someone had gotten Lelouch's blood on the towel and nothing more.

He had checked the hangar carefully on his way out, making sure that no one was there to see him, but he neglected to check on his way back to the room. No one was here, they were all probably trying to stop the riots or huddled in the administration building, afraid that the rioters would turn on them next. The hangar was the farthest building on the lot, aside from the hospital, so he was safe.

Suzaku was standing at the door, ready to punch in the code, when he heard a soft whir. He spun around, his hand dropping to his waist for his weapon, only to come up empty. He spared a glance down at his hand before looking up, surprised to see Nunnally making her way across the hangar floor, escorted by a nervous looking soldier. Suzaku relaxed and took a step away from the door. "Nunnally."

"Sir Kururugi." The cold tone made him stop, Suzaku really looking at Nunnally.

Her eyes were red, like she'd been crying. He muttered a curse under his breath. Of course she would be crying, she had just gotten the news that her brother was dead. The rest of the news was sure to come.

He cleared his throat, not having to fake concern for her. "What's wrong, Nunnally?"

"Why aren't you with Lelouch?"

It took him a moment, Suzaku glancing over at the Lancelot. "I had some things to do here, Lloyd insisted." He shrugged. "Then I was going to join Lelouch at the executions in the Lancelot."

"Why aren't you in your flight suit?"

"You just caught me at the end. I was going to change…" He trailed off, hating every moment of his lie to Nunnally. But he couldn't tell her the truth. He needed her to believe that her brother was dead. If he could make Nunnally believe it, then convincing the rest of the world would be easy. Suzaku cleared his throat. "But something's wrong. What is it?"

Nunnally shook her head, looking down at her lap. "My bother is dead."

"What?" He took a step back, bracing himself against the door and staring at Nunnally. He hoped that his expression looked genuine, he was no good at lying. "He couldn't be. They took half of the compound."

"Would I lie?"

"No. Of course not, Nunnally. It's just…How?"

"Assassins." The anger in her voice was enough to make Suzaku wince. He knew how the both of them feared assassins more than anything. Suzaku looked down at the floor as Nunnally kept talking. "One got up on the platform and murdered Lelouch in front of thousands of people and the guards weren't able to stop him. But, you know what? You could have."

He looked up abruptly at that, staring at her as Nunnally rolled her wheelchair forward, leaving the guard standing behind her. "If you had been there, you would have been on that platform with him and that assassin wouldn't have stood a chance. Instead you were here."

"Nunnally…"

"Silence." He automatically snapped to attention, watching as Nunnally shivered, the girl drawing herself upright. "You will address me properly."

And with that he finally understood how much he had lost with his gamble. He would have lost this much if he had let Lelouch die, but this was worse. It was worse because he knew that he was lying to her.

Suzaku swallowed and nodded. "Yes, your highness."

"Now, tell me something that isn't an excuse. Tell me why you weren't there to protect my brother?"

Suzaku stared at her before dropping his gaze again. He couldn't tell her anything, not if it involved lying to her. It had been hard enough once.

He heard her choke back a sob, not looking up from the ground. "But you promised, you promised that you would keep him safe. You promised me that!"

"I did, my lady."

"You let my brother die! You failed him!" Suzaku winced as Nunnally shouted at him, taking another step back until he was pressed against the door. "Why weren't you there today?"

"There is no reason that you would accept and no way that I could make up for my mistake, your majesty."

"There's no… I hate you!" Suzaku jumped, getting a glimpse of Nunnally's face. She looked just as shocked at the words that had come out of her mouth as he was. But she didn't allow that to stop her, Nunnally swallowed, managing to lower her voice. "I hate you and I never want to see you again."

"Understood, your highness."

"I…I banish you from Britannia and Japan." Suzaku felt his mouth drop open, but he didn't say anything. He just nodded slowly, shutting his eyes as Nunnally continued. "And from all of the Areas that are a part of the Britannian empire. Our enemies can deal with you as they see fit."

"Yes, your highness."

"You have until dawn tomorrow to leave, or I will have you killed." Nunnally's voice wavered on the last word, but she pushed on. "You are dismissed."

"Yes, your highness." Suzaku bowed to her, the first proper bow he had given to her in a long time. Only when she had retreated did he stand back up and turn towards the door. He paused with his hand on the metal. "You could execute me, your highness. It is a fitting punishment for what I've done."

"No. I've seen enough death, enough killing. I just want it to stop."

"Of course." Suzaku sighed, resting his forehead against the door. "The hospital probably still has my blood, and they'll give it to you if you ask, and my sword in still in Le-the emperor's rooms."

"What is your point?"

"You could fake my death."

"And what purpose would that serve?"

"I understand that you want to punish me for my actions and I believe you are in the right. I should wander the earth for the rest of my days knowing that I had betrayed my emperor. But if people believe that I am still alive, they will come after me and kill me."

"And?"

"No one looks for the dead." He heard her suck in a breath at that, knowing that he was almost quoting Lelouch. "And the dead can't ask help from the living."

"I…I will think on it. Goodbye, Suzaku Kururugi."

He closed his eyes, waiting until he could no longer hear the whir of her wheelchair or the sound of the guard's feet on the floor. He listened for the slam of the door that led outside, letting out the breath that he had been holding and pushing away from the door. He looked back towards where she had last been. "I'm sorry, Nunnally."

* * *

Gino hopped out of the car with a few other soldiers, turning to wave at the driver before setting off for the administration building at a jog. He would check on Nunnally first, although Jeremiah insisted that she was in the safe room in the building. But, in this panic, Gino wasn't sure that she would have stayed there. Nunnally would have tried to help the staff in the building and would have made sure that they were safe before returning herself. He had heard Jeremiah speaking over the phone to her, so she had been safe then.

Those were the few things that Gino was sure of at the moment, Nunnally had been safe and protected about thirty minutes ago and that she knew that her brother was dead.

He resisted the urge to curse, shaking his head. It wouldn't help him now, when he needed his breath for running. Nothing could change the fact that the emperor had been assassinated right in front of their eyes.

He had been waiting at the execution place, sent there to help bring the prisoners to the block and to keep an eye on Cornelia and Schneizel. The news of their leader's death had come to him by the chanting mob that had rushed forward, the soldiers that Gino was in charge of trying to hold them back. They had managed to keep the crowd on the parade route, although the reports had trickled in later that there was rioting all over the city. Gino still didn't know how the group of soldiers he had been assigned to faired, because Jeremiah had sent a car for him with the orders to return to the administrative building. Their next target would be Nunnally and the prisoners would be looking for a chance at revenge as well. So he had been sent to back up Anya, who was already back at the building, while Jeremiah went after the assassins.

Gino dodged around a group of pilots, watching them race to their Knightmares and mount up. None of the Knightmares were flight enabled, which was a good idea. Seeing the Britannian Knightmares flying overhead would send the people into more of a panic and that was the last thing that they wanted. If the assassins and escaped prisoners were to be caught, the people had to be calmed and cleared from the streets.

He turned, grabbing hold of a corner of a building to steady himself before sprinting for the entrance of the administration building. Gino grunted as he ran into the door, stumbling into the building and rubbing his shoulder.

The safe room was on the third floor, tucked away down a corridor that led to the servant's staircase. Although cleverly hidden, it was simply a place for the royalty to stay during the invasion of the first few floors of the building and a place close enough to the servant's entrance to escape into the underground tunnels that ran into the settlement. It was a temporary solution, one that they'd used too much for Gino's taste since their stay in Area 11.

He slowed to a walk a few feet from the corridor, pausing once to lean on the wall and to pant for breath. He had gotten used to a more sedate life guarding Nunnally, and it was an unfamiliar thought that he could be getting out of shape. Usually he was running around endlessly and piloting his Knightmare. This just meant that he would have to become a bit more active again, Gino managing a wry smile as he pushed away from the wall. And what a way to get more active, running around in a frantic search for the remainder of the royal family.

Gino slipped into the small corridor, locating the key pad that would open the door to the safe room and starting to enter the code. He was just about to press the final button when the sound of running feet caught his attention. Gino turned, surprised to see Anya barreling down to the corridor towards him.

She ran into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and nearly toppling the two of them. Gino caught himself on the wall, his torso twisted oddly to keep them in balance. He glanced down at her before levering himself upright again, carefully prying Anya from him. He was about to fire off his usual joking greeting when he got a good look at her face.

Gone was the usual blank expression. It had been replaced with wide eyed fear. Gino frowned and got a better grip on Anya's shoulders, watching helplessly as she shuddered violently. "Anya? What happened?"

"Dead. Like Lady Marianne. Don't need the journal, this one will stick." She clutched at her head. "Why won't I forget this?"

"Anya, calm down!"

"Dead."

Gino gave her a little shake, not sure if it would even work. He didn't know how to handle a panicked Anya, he had only known her when she had been detached. Even when she was having one of her bad days she would just go quiet, look around in confusion and refer back to her diary for everything that she was asked. He had once found her staring at individual pictures of the Knights of the Round, frowning like she was trying to place all of them.

That he could deal with, not this Anya.

He sighed and hugged her, not knowing what else to do. "Calm down, Anya. Talk slowly."

"No! Dead!"

"Who?" Gino tensed. Anya had remained behind to guard the administrative building, in charge of the security around Nunnally while her brother was out. He had briefly seen them moving to Mordred to a place where Anya could easily get to so she could use her Knightmare if things went wrong. With the way she was right now, she was in no condition to use the Knightmare. But she would have run to the Knightmare if the administrative building was in trouble, running to Gino wouldn't have done anything to help, which meant it was something that she wasn't prepared for.

A death that she wasn't prepared for. "Lady Nunnally!"

Anya whimpered and pulled away from him, grabbing his hand and tugging him down the hall. Gino didn't need any more encouragement. He stumbled after Anya, quickly catching himself and settling into a jog by her side. Anya let go of his hand quickly after that, sprinting ahead toward the elevators, Gino having to run flat out to reach the doors before they closed.

Gino leaned back against the wall, impatiently drumming his fingers on his arm on the way up. He wouldn't be getting anymore out of Anya, not when she would only repeat the word death and shiver. Even now she had wedged herself as far back into a corner of the elevator as she could. Gino sighed and turned his attention to the numbers above the door. He would check this out before returning to the safe room to check on Nunnally, if Nunnally was still alive.

He dug his nails into his skin. Nunnally had to be alive, not only for the sake of the empire, but for the sake of the people. The empire would fall apart completely with her gone and Schneizel and Cornelia on the run. The people would react badly as well, Nunnally was beloved by them for her sweet personality and they pitied her for being held prisoner for her brother. Never mind that some of their reasoning was wrong, it didn't change the fact that the public would riot again if there was news of her death. And, this time, the rioting might cause the death of more people.

He jumped as the bell rang softly, pushing away from the wall and walking out of the elevator. Anya darted past him, already racing down the hall. Gino swallowed and followed, his heart pounding faster when he saw the large crowd of servants. They wouldn't risk coming out of hiding for just anything. He cursed and ran faster, losing sight of Anya in the crowd.

"Lady Nunnally!" Gino shouted her name as soon as he was close, the servants turning to stare at him in shock. He pushed past the first few, surprised when they all stepped to one side. Gino tried to rush forward, only to be forced to the side by two people carrying a stretcher with a covered figure on it.

He turned to go after the stretcher, to pull back the sheet and see who it was when he spotted Nunnally out of the corner of his eye. Gino turned quickly, shoving his way through the rest of the crowd. "Nunnally!"

"Gino?" She looked up at him, reaching out with one hand.

He took it, crouching down so he could speak to her face to face. "Nunnally why aren't you in the safe room?"

"I heard that Lelouch was killed." Nunnally reached up to wipe the tears from her face. "I heard that he had died and I…I just couldn't sit there."

"It's the safest place for you."

"I was told that Suzaku wasn't there."

"He wasn't. It was just bad luck that he wasn't."

"So I had to find out where he was." Nunnally continued on like she hadn't heard him, pausing every so often to wipe her face. "I had to know why he wasn't with my brother, so I came here. I…I was hoping that it was just a trick, something to lure out the assassins, but my brother wasn't here."

"Oh, Nunnally…"

"But Suzaku was."

Gino jerked back, almost falling over. He looked around Nunnally to see her brother's room, frowning when it was completely empty. "There's no one there."

"He was there and…Gino, it was horrible." Nunnally was sobbing now, Gino unable to make out what she was saying.

He stood up, patting the back of her hand before entering the room. He would look quickly and then get back to her. He had to get her back to the safe room, at least until the reports came in the riots had stopped or the rioters had moved away from where she was.

Gino started as Anya appeared at his side, the young woman clutching at his sleeve. She must have slipped past him while he had been talking to Nunnally. Gino sighed and rested a hand on her shoulder. He would leave Anya with Nunnally, although he would have to find someone else to protect the two of them. He should remain with them, but he didn't want to be stuck in that room if they needed a Knightmare to guard the administration building.

"Sword." He blinked, looking back down at Anya. She was pointing at something on the floor.

He walked over to it, stopping at the edge of the stain on the floor. Gino stared at the stain before reaching out for the sword, carefully grabbing the hilt and pulling it up. Liquid dripped off the tip of the blade, Gino tilting the sword slightly, not quite able to process what he was seeing. The blade of the sword was covered with blood and the floor was stained with it, but Nunnally was fine. Nunnally was safe outside still crying over her brother. Suzaku was the one that had been in here, and this was his sword.

Gino turned around, walking back into the hall, ignoring the gasps from the people still gathered around the door. He was completely focused on Nunnally, his grip tightening on the sword as he lifted it up, not caring that it was dripping blood onto the carpet. "What happened?"

At the sight of the sword, Nunnally froze, her mouth dropping open. Gino stared at her, giving the sword a shake. "Why is Suzaku's sword like this?"

"I…I found him in there."

He dropped the sword, walking back over to Nunnally's side. "Was he the one on the stretcher?"

Nunnally nodded slowly. "I came to see if this really was a plan that Lelouch made up and I found Suzaku in there. He must have heard that Lelouch was dead so he…he…" Nunnally shivered and looked up at Gino. "Why?"

"I don't know. I never thought that he would do something like this." Gino glanced down the hall. The Suzaku he had known had been happy, or at least relatively so. There hadn't been any hint that he wanted to kill himself or that he would. But Suzaku had always been close to Lelouch, even before Gino had known Suzaku the two of them had always been together. Where Lelouch went, Suzaku had followed.

And that's what had happened here. Gino shivered, staring at the sword on the carpet. Suzaku was a loyal knight, the emperor's personal knight, so he had followed his emperor. Gino shook his head, rubbing a hand over his face. "I just don't understand. I have to see him."

"No!" He stopped as Nunnally grabbed his wrist. "Don't go. Everyone that's left has died. Please."

Gino sighed and shook his head, turning around to face Nunnally. "Get Anya. We'll get you somewhere safe."

She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

He just nodded, walking around to push her wheelchair through the crowd as Nunnally coaxed Anya to her side. The three of them made their way back to the elevator in silence, Anya returning to her place in the corner as soon as they were inside. Gino gave her a worried look, sighing and shaking his head. "Why did you call Anya to you?"

"I didn't. She was the first to find me." Nunnally stared straight ahead at the doors. "I tried to hide the body, but she saw it. It didn't mean to hurt her again."

"I know."

"And now we'll-"

"Nunnally," Gino hesitated, watching as the numbers flickered above the door, "let's leave that for later. Let's just survive today."

"Of course." She sounded flustered.

He smiled down at her, wheeling her out of the elevator as it stopped and heading for the safe room. To his relief, Anya stuck close, the young woman clinging to a section of the wheelchair for dear life. He cleared his throat and looked at Anya. "I want you to stay with Nunnally."

"Alright."

She was back to one word answers, which was a strange relief. It meant that she was coming back to herself, but that was no guarantee that she was getting better. For all he knew, Anya wouldn't remember any of this tomorrow, which would make her retreat into her rooms to consult her diary. But none of this would be written in her diary, Gino could tell that much about her. He would probably have to sit down with her and explain all of this or have her record him talking about it. They would probably have the time to do it, the empire was going to be held in suspension until another emperor was chosen or Nunnally stepped up to fill the space that her brother had once held.

He opened the door to the safe room, Nunnally taking control of the wheelchair as soon as she was inside. She turned to face him, clearing her throat. "W-we'll bury him once things settle, he deserves that much."

"Of course, Nunnally."

"And I need to get in contact with Jeremiah again."

"You don't have to do this. You deserve the time to grieve."

"When the people are safe I can do that." She shook her head. "I need to make sure they're safe. Today I can cry all I want, but it won't change anything." Gino stared at her, Nunnally seeming to realize this. She coughed and sat back. "If you can, tell him to get a message to the prisoners, ask them to please leave us alone so we can bury our dead. Then, I will speak to them and I promise that they will be safe and that…that I won't be chasing after them."

"You can't do that!"

"Gino, my brother is dead." Nunnally's voice cracked over the last word. "I just want to go home."

He stared at her before bowing. "Yes, your highness."

"Thank you."

Gino walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Instead of immediately walking away, he stared at the wall in front of him.

Nunnally was right about settling the people, it was their first priority. As of now, Nunnally couldn't do anything, so she would be able to cry for her brother. He would have to wait until his duties were finished to even begin on sorting out what he felt. Right now, it was all a jumble of emotion, mostly confusion, and adrenalin.

He pushed away from the wall, walking down the hallway. None of that mattered at the moment. He was the only knight still able to protect the building and it was his duty to do so until he died as well. Although, he was sure that it wouldn't come to that. He was confident that he wouldn't even have to use a Knightmare.

Gino stepped outside, surprised when a guard immediately saluted him. "It's calmed down, sir."

"Good."

"Your orders?"

Gino glanced back at the building. "Search the barracks for assassins and start sending out a few men to start putting things right. Get in contact with Jeremiah, Lady Nunnally wants to speak to him."

The guard nodded and rushed off, Gino walking over to the gate to take his place with the other soldiers.

* * *

Nunnally reached out, gently pushing Anya's hair behind her ear, watching the young woman twitch in her sleep. The knight deserved some rest, especially after seeing what she had today. Nunnally winced and pulled her hand back. She hadn't meant to let Anya see the set up, she hadn't meant to have Anya near there at all. Witnessing Marianne's death had been enough for Anya to start having memory problems every time she got too upset or saw something surprising, Nunnally didn't know how seeing Suzaku dead would affect her; even if it had been fake.

She sighed and turned to look towards the door again. Suzaku had been right, it was better for them to believe him dead. And it was only a small, vindictive part of her that wanted him to suffer for it. Suzaku hadn't been the one to kill Lelouch, he just hadn't been there to prevent it from happening. And she hated him for it, for not being there to prevent it. She had trusted Suzaku above all others, and he had failed her on the one thing that was more important to her than anything else, her brother's life.

That he had given her a way to punish him didn't make her feel better. She had intended on banishing him, but he had filled in the rest of the plan for her, which sounded like he had intended on running away. And now she was doubting him because of it. Why else would he tell Lelouch that he would be leaving? It made it look like Suzaku had known about this assassination but had told no one, which was insane to think about in the first place.

She knew Suzaku. And she knew that he would have prevented anything from happening to Lelouch. Or that's what she had thought before. Now…now she didn't even know if she could trust the knight. But at least he was leaving, so she wouldn't have to worry about him ever again.

That was one of her problems solved. The next one was equally as bothersome. Why had she said that Suzaku had committed suicide instead of her original plan? She had rehearsed what he would say all the way back to the administration building and while her guard had searched the room for Suzaku's sword. No one would question why she gave the order for Suzaku to die, he had betrayed the emperor. His absence in the guard around Lelouch was enough evidence.

But, when faced with Gino and Anya, she had faltered. She was still angry with Suzaku, she was furious about his failure, and she hadn't lied when she told him that she hated him. Even with all of that, she was not able to give Suzaku the ending that he deserved, so she had told them that he had committed suicide. And, strangely enough, she was alright with that. She had given them their Suzaku, the kind and loyal knight that they knew instead of her own vengeful wrath, and it had been the right choice for the time. So many things were changing so quickly, her own anger would have just shocked people.

It scared her enough right now. Even when she felt like crying for Lelouch her anger towards Suzaku wouldn't go away. She had never been able to sustain anger over a long period of time, it came and went quickly, as she felt it should. Nunnally had watched her brother hold grudges all of his life and it never seemed to make him feel any better, so anger was better to just let go of and continue on, because she couldn't just live her life raging at something. But not the anger directed towards Suzaku, and maybe that was a good thing. Maybe she would keep it, because he deserved it. But she wouldn't let it rule her life.

Nunnally dropped her gaze to her lap, needed to distract herself with something. She didn't want to just keep crying, because she felt useless, and she never wanted to feel useless again. It reminded her too much of the time after their mother had been killed and Lelouch had renounced his right to the throne. Then, because they had been deemed useless then had been sent away, far away from everything that they had known. Only to be plunged into a war where they had lost another person that was close to them.

She covered her face with her hands, feeling tears slipping out again. The memories were worse now because she had lost Lelouch. Before, when anything bad had happened, she could always run to him. But now there was nothing, no one that she could turn to. She had lost everything.

She broke down again, not caring if she woke Anya with her sobs or if people outside could hear her. Nothing mattered right now, she had lost her brother and her best friend had betrayed them both.

Nunnally didn't hear the door open again, nor did she see the guard who had brought her to this room the first time enter. She didn't even feel him wrap his arms around her. She just sought the warmth of another person and cried on his shoulder again.

When she finally managed to stop, her eyes sore and her throat aching, she pulled away from him. He stayed crouched by her side, his hand very close to hers. But he wouldn't take it, she knew that. He was too aware of her status to take her hand, which was why she grabbed his, needing something warm and human to hold onto.

The soldier looked surprised at her boldness, but managed to hide it a moment later. "Feel better, your highness?"

"Not really."

"Ah." He sounded sad, Nunnally surprised by that. "It won't be getting better for a long time."

"No, it won't."

"Then you'll just have to be brave and keep moving forward." He gave her a small smile, Nunnally finding herself returning it.

"I will. Thank you."

"No thanks needed."

"Well then, thank you for playing dead." Nunnally reached up and gently strained his hair out from where they had messed it up. The soldier wasn't a good match for Suzaku aside from the fact that he had brown hair, not even the right shade, but Nunnally had hoped that no one would pay attention to the body under the sheet. To her relief no one had. "Is everything ready?"

The guard nodded. "The coffins will be brought tomorrow and I will seal one myself."

"Thank you." Nunnally bit her lip. "And I trust that you will keep quiet about this."

"Yes, your highness." The guard frowned. "I may not understand all of it, but I will follow your orders."

She nodded vaguely, suddenly struck by a stray thought. "I'm…I'm the empress of Britannia now, aren't I?"

"Until your older siblings show up, yes."

Nunnally suddenly felt dizzy. Lelouch hadn't been dead for a full day and she already was in charge of the country. Tomorrow she would have to continue on as if nothing had happened, speak to the people to assure them that everything was fine and that she had things under control. She could barely comprehend tomorrow at the moment, let alone speaking to other people. She would probably break down again tomorrow and cry for her brother. She would probably be doing that for weeks.

She rubbed her hands over her face, needing something to help focus her on the now instead of the future or the past. Both just made her want to cry, the former because of the loneliness that loomed and the latter because of everyone she had lost.

"Tomorrow, I'll-"

"If I may, your highness," the soldier ducked his head as he realized that he had interrupted her. "I think you should just try to take it one day at a time. The world would hardly judge you for mourning your brother."

"Yes, but considering what my brother was to the world…" She trailed off and shook her head. "I'll find the time, but I won't endanger the empire for it. Lelouch was working so hard to make all of this right."

"Even so, I don't think your brother would want you to make yourself unhappy by doing something that you don't agree with."

"Yes…He was always trying to make me happy, no matter what." Nunnally allowed herself a real smile, breaking off with a giggle. "Oh the things he used to do…"

* * *

The guard studied her for a moment before settling on the floor, shifting so he could see the door before crossing his legs. "I'll listen if you want to talk about him. It might help."

Nunnally looked down at him before offering the guard her hand. She just needed someone to hold her hand right now. It was something from the days when she had been blind, when a hand to hold had been her only assurance that there was someone there for her.

The guard hesitated before taking her hand, Nunnally letting him gently cradle it in his own. It wasn't a strong hold, but it was enough to reassure her. She felt herself relax, Nunnally closing her eyes and thinking back over her memories of Lelouch. "There was this one time, when we were kids…"

Cecile sat in the driver's seat of the trailer, drumming her fingers on the wheel. Getting out of the gates without being searched would be a miracle, especially with everyone on high alert. Suzaku should have left a few days before Lelouch's assassination to avoid all of this, although she understood why he had waited for so long. As much as the searches would delay them, she wouldn't begrudge Suzaku his last few days with his friends.

She sat up suddenly as Lloyd clambered into the seat beside her. "It's loaded."

She sighed, finally relaxing back into the seat. "Hidden?"

"I piled a bunch of junk back there as well." Lloyd flopped into his seat, buckling the belt across his lap. "We'll make a stop by the dump later."

"Lloyd!"

"Why bother lying to the guards? We have a perfectly good excuse." Lloyd grinned at her and jerked his head back to the door that would leave back into the trailer. "It won't be recognized with all of that junk back there as well. They can't even get to the car with the way it's packed. Now, move out."

Cecile rolled her eyes and started up the trailer, driving toward the gates. The closer they got, the nervous she became. She tapped her fingers against the wheel, her gaze moving from the road to the two men who were stepping out of the small booth by the gate. Cecile glanced at Lloyd, envious of the scientist's calm. He was just sitting back in his seat like nothing was wrong. In fact, she was sure that he was dozing off, a smart move since they wouldn't be back until early in the morning.

She stopped at the gate, opening the door and hopping out to confront the guards who had come to meet her. Cecile did her best to smile, feeling the expression falter as she saw that they were glaring at her. "Good evening."

"And where are you heading out to?"

"Uh…"

"To drop off our load of scrap metal." Cecile twisted to look up at Lloyd. The scientist was leaning out of the open window, adjusting his glasses. "We'll be picking up the burnt and totaled cars on the way. Orders came in earlier and we just happen to have the biggest trailer."

The guards looked at each other, Cecile watching as they clutched at their guns. She took a deep breath, sure that they were doing to shoot them. They were nervous because of what had happened today, first Lelouch's death and then Suzaku's faked suicide. It was enough to make the guards order them to stay inside.

To her surprise, they just nodded, one walking to the back of the trailer. "Can you lift this? Procedures and all."

"Right." Lloyd waved at the guard before opening the back of the trailer, just wide enough for the man to scramble in.

Cecile held her breath for a moment before clambering back up into the seat. At any minute, the guard could shift some of the scraps back there and discover the car, and where Suzaku was hiding among all of the scraps. She glanced back at the trailer, waiting for the shouting that would signal that the guard had discovered them.

Instead, the guard walked around to the window, waving them on. "All clear. And try to get as much of that wreckage as you can."

"Of course." Cecile tried not to laugh, knowing that it would sound suspicious. "I'll see if I can get some time off to help out."

"We'd appreciate that."

She saved to them as they opened the gate, her finger resting on the button that would close the trailer. When she heard the thump from the back, she drove off, turning the truck so they would appear to be heading down the parade route.

Only when the gate was out of sight did she turn to Lloyd. "Was that another thing that we're doing?"

"Not at the moment." Lloyd waved his hand dismissively, sinking into his seat. "The soldiers cleared most of the wrecks from the street earlier. And we need that space to get the time machine out."

Cecile rolled her eyes, glancing quickly at the door that led to the trailer. "Is Suzaku going to come out of there?"

"He said something about the dangers of being recognized." Lloyd shrugged and pushed his glasses so that they were resting on the top of his head. "I agree but we're probably safe traveling this late with tinted windows."

She sighed, looking at the door one last time before focusing her attention on the street, ignoring Lloyd as he flopped around on the seat in an attempt to find a comfortable spot to sleep.

The drive to Shinjuku was made in silence, Cecile concentrating on where she was going. She was tempted to turn on the radio a few times, just to have something besides the sound of Lloyd's breathing and the hum of the engine, but she was sure that nothing would be playing but a repeat of the day's events, and she had heard more than enough about them. If she heard about how the emperor had been stabbed by an assassin before being carried off and given to the people only to be torn into pieces and burnt in a fire, she was going to cry. She might not have known Lelouch personally, but he had been so young, only eighteen, the same age as Suzaku. In about a month, he would have been nineteen. And it was frightening that someone could die so young.

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened momentarily, Cecile forcing herself to relax a moment later. Even with nearly no one on the streets, she couldn't afford to let her guard down, not so close to their goal. They would need Suzaku to tell them where he wanted them to stop and let him off. If he wanted to go back close to where he had been before, he would need to guide them through the ghetto, although it would probably look different from his time.

She stopped the truck, parking it on the side of the street before getting up and knocking on the door of to the trailer. She heard Lloyd yelp behind her, the scientist rolling off of his seat, but her focus was on the teenager that peeked out of the door. "Are we there?"

"Yes, but we need you to tell us where we have to go."

"Right." Suzaku swallowed and slipped out of the trailer, staring ahead of them and gesturing. "In the middle of the ghetto in my time there's a memorial to all of those who had lost their lives fighting there."

"So head for the middle."

"No." Suzaku groaned, running a hand through his hair. "That's where I met Lloyd."

"And we don't want you to be seen." Lloyd pulled himself back up onto the seat. "Paradox."

Cecile nodded slowly. "So where do we go?"

"I'm trying to remember…" Suzaku had his eyes closed and he was leaning back against the door. "I don't know where the gang that was chasing you came from…but they surprised Lloyd and I. They came from behind." Suzaku's eyes flickered open, his hand still resting on his head. "Head towards the middle and then turn off one of the streets to the left."

"Are you sure?"

"Not really." Suzaku gave a nervous chuckle, leaning on the back of her seat. "But it's the best guess I can give you. At the worst, I'll be speeding past myself."

Cecile sighed and began driving further into the ghetto, turning when Suzaku recognized a building or a street. They moved at nearly a crawl, Lloyd quiet for once as they tried to find a spot that would not only give Suzaku the straightaway that the needed to get up to speed, but the right place so he wouldn't run into something that was there in the future.

"Stop. Right here. Stop." Suzaku nearly pressed himself against the windshield, looking around before taking a step back. "If I'm where I think I am, the memorial is about two streets over that way." He pointed to his right before pointing down the street that they were following. "Which means that I can use this street, as long as I go down to the end and floor it."

"Fantastic." Lloyd was nearly bouncing in his seat. "I finally get to see my time machine in action."

Suzaku gave him a wry smile. "I'll probably be the last time."

Cecile frowned as Suzaku slipped back into the trailer, probably to start shifting the junk that they had piled around the car. She looked back over at Lloyd, who shrugged, before turning her attention to the end of the street.

It was easy enough to pull down to the end of the street and then back up through the intersection, no one was out this late at night in the ghetto. And no one probably dared to look outside in case it was the Britannian army searching for the assassins. That was the only good thing about Suzaku leaving on the day of the assassination, no one would bother to ask them what they were doing.

Cecile parked the truck, opening the back as Lloyd ducked through the door that was in the cabin. She would wait here until they had gotten the time machine onto the ramp before lowering it. Only when that was finished would she leave the cabin.

She leaned back in her seat, finally able to relax. The hard part was finished, this next part was completely up to Suzaku, and she had confidence in him. Cecile smiled and slipped her hand into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the two letters there.

They had been lying on her spot by the computers when she had gotten to the hangar late in the evening, just before they had started to load up the car. She had taken them because they had her and Lloyd's names on them, and there was a chance that they would contain something that the others in the A.S.E.E.C shouldn't see. That or Jeremiah would demand to see them as a part of his investigation into the assassins. That investigation was one of the reasons that she had been so late, missing the loading of the car entirely. She had been stopped at the gates and forced to answer questions about where she had been and where she was going before she had been admitted into the compound.

She was planning to ask Suzaku about them as soon as he got the car out, just in case there was a certain time that he wanted them to open and read the letters. She was willing to wait if he told her to, although she was curious as to why Suzaku would even write her a letter when she was going to see him again.

"Cecile, lower the ramp."

Lloyd's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She fumbled for the button, listening carefully for the sound of the motor and the scrape on the pavement that would tell her when the ramp was lowered. Cecile released the button at the sound, leaning out of the window to wait for the car to appear.

She heard Suzaku and Lloyd speaking about something before the sound of the engine starting up. Cecile found herself smiling as the car pulled up alongside the truck, proud of the work that she had done on it. It was one of the few things that she was truly proud of, because it wasn't a machine made to kill people. She sighed and shook her head, ducking back into the cab to pull up the ramp and shut the trailer.

By the time she was finished securing the trailer, Suzaku had already lined up the car for the straightway and was out. Cecile tipped her head to the side when she saw that both Suzaku and Lloyd were leaning on the passenger side of the car, talking about something and gesturing into the car. Lloyd finally threw his hands into the air and retreated a few steps as Suzaku crouched down.

Cecile rounded the front of the car just in time to see Suzaku securing a seatbelt over Lelouch.

She stumbled backwards, catching herself on the open door and staring at the boy in the passenger seat. "You…is that his body?"

"No." Lloyd's voice was calm, which could only mean that he was furious. "That's the real living emperor right there."

"What?"

"Suzaku is the assassin they're all looking for. He disguised himself and drugged the emperor so he could take him back as well."

"Suzaku!"

The teenager winced, pressing himself back against the open space. "It won't change history. I promise."

"It won't? The emperor that was supposed to die today isn't dead."

"But that's the point." Suzaku looked at both of them, his eyes wide. "Everyone thinks he's dead and that's all that matters! Everything that was supposed to happen to him on the day of his death took place but he's still alive. He's safe."

Lloyd crossed his arms. "And that won't change history?"

"It won't." Suzaku shook his head. "The world needs to believe that he's dead to move on. The next person on the Britannian throne will change things for the better and there will be peace because no country wants to produce the next Demon Emperor."

He looked desperately at the two of them. "You've got to believe me. The world doesn't need him anymore, so it won't hurt anything. And I couldn't just let him die."

Cecile flinched, letting go of the door. Of all the things they had predicted that Suzaku would do, they had never guessed that he would go as far as to save Lelouch if something bad happened to him. They both thought that Suzaku would have stuck to the original events without altering any more of the time stream. "Suzaku, you just can't do this."

"Why not? Why can't I have them think he's dead? Why can't I give him the chance to live beyond eighteen?"

"Because he doesn't." Lloyd was shaking his head. "Messing with a big event like that is dangerous."

"But I didn't mess with it! I did everything that was supposed to happen." Suzaku took a deep breath. "I know that assassination like the back of my hand, everyone knows it. They show it every year on the twenty-ninth. I've seen it since first grade…I've watched him die once a year almost every year of my life."

Cecile closed her eyes. "Did you come back here to save him?"

"No." She opened her eyes at that, watching Suzaku shake his head. "No. I came back because of a stupid thought when I was panicking and I stayed to make sure that he died, because it was such an important event."

"But then you got mixed up in things."

Suzaku looked at her and nodded. "I didn't want to…I knew it was stupid and I tried to stop it, but I like him, Miss. Cecile. I really do like him. And I swear that it was a last minute decision this morning to save him."

He looked back over at Lloyd, the scientist still standing with his arms crossed. "Let me have this. Just this one person. I could have saved thousands of others, I could have saved my own parents, but I didn't. I even made sure that the world would think that he was dead and continue on, like it would have done anyway. There are worse choices that I could have made."

Lloyd stared at Suzaku, slowly uncrossing his arms. Cecile watched as Suzaku braced himself against the car, still protecting Lelouch. And he would probably continue doing so for the rest of his life. The emperor didn't know how lucky he was to have Suzaku on his side, a knight that would do anything for his lord. Cecile wouldn't put it past Suzaku to just drive off without ever resolving this argument, just to be sure Lelouch was safe.

Lloyd seemed to come to a decision, stepping forward and ruffling Suzaku's hair. "Will he stay under?"

"He started to wake up on the way over, but I dosed him again. Not much, but enough to keep him quiet until we're back in the future. He'll be groggy until it wears completely off, but we'll be back at home by then."

"Fine." Lloyd stepped up to Suzaku and swept him up in a hug, much to both Suzaku and Cecile's astonishment. The scientist quickly put Suzaku back on the ground, patting him on the head. "Take care of that time machine until you're back."

"Of course."

"That's my favorite devicer." Lloyd walked away, taking off his glasses to clean the lenses.

Cecile stared after him, shaking his head as she stepped up to stand by Suzaku. The teenager just shrugged and smiled. "I'm used to it."

"I don't think I ever will be."

"I don't think you ever are." Suzaku smiled before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you, Miss. Cecile."

"Y-you're welcome." She blushed, at a loss at what to do. "But I didn't really do anything."

"That's not true. You've done so much for me." He pulled away with a fond smile on his face, reaching out to pat the top of the car. "Like this. I wouldn't be here without you."

"Well…I guess that's true."

Her mouth dropped open as he leaned up to kiss her cheek, grinning as he leaned back against the car. "I'll see you in a few years."

She nodded, pressing a hand against her cheek and stumbling back as Suzaku checked that Lelouch was secure one more time. He slammed the door shut before walking over to the other side of the car, Cecile finally snapping out of her shock and rushing over to him. She pulled the letters out of her pocket with one hand, the other one grabbing onto Suzaku's shoulder. He turned to look at her, staring at the letters in surprise.

Cecile cleared her throat, sheepishly letting go of his shoulder. "I…I just wanted to know if there was a specific time that we should read these."

"No." Suzaku glanced quickly back at Lloyd. "You don't have to read them at all. I'd like you to though." He looked at the ground, kicking a small piece of concrete to once side. "I have to go now."

"Alright." Still clutching the letters in her hand, she backed away.

Suzaku smiled at the both of them, waving as he slid into the seat. "Thank you two for everything. And, Lloyd, you're going to enjoy this." He winked before shutting the door.

Cecile went to stand by Lloyd, watching as the car remained dark and still for a moment before Suzaku turned it on. She jumped at the sound of the engine starting up, staring at Suzaku's silhouette as he was lit up by the screens. He reached over, probably adjusting the time that he was traveling to before sitting back in his seat.

She jumped as the Blaze Luminous shield flickered to life, Lloyd laughing and slapping her shoulder. "It works, it all actually works."

Cecile shook her head, turning to look back at the car as Suzaku attached something to his ear before giving them a thumbs up.

She expected him to start off immediately, surprised when Suzaku rolled down the window a fraction. "Want to send me off?"

"Of course." She laughed, glancing down the straightaway. It seemed clear to her, although she couldn't see beyond the headlights of the car. "Lancelot, ready for launch."

"Launch." The window was rolled up as Suzaku sent the car forward.

Cecile took a step back, shoving the letters into her pocket as the car raced down the straightaway gaining speed. She smiled, leaning forward to watch it go. She nearly toppled over as Lloyd leaned on her as well, the scientist whistling as the car continued to gain speed.

Then they saw it, a blue spark jumping along the top of the car before falling to the ground. The time machine was too far away to see anything else, at least until the Blaze Luminous shield went up again, the entire car covered in the green shield.

There was a sudden flash of blue light and a loud snap, and then the car was gone.

Cecile stumbled out onto the intersection they had used, staring at the two lines of flame that had marked where the car had been, her mouth open in shock.

It had worked. Their time machine had really worked.

She turned around to stare at Lloyd, watching as the scientist jumped into the air with a shout of joy. "We did it!"

He bounced on the balls of his feet, babbling to himself about the different components of the machine.

Cecile watch him and shook her head, walking back to the cabin of the truck and getting in. Lloyd would be out there for a few more minutes, which was plenty of time to read the letter that Suzaku had left her. She settled down into her seat and flicked on the cabin lights, pulling out the letter and opening it.

 _'Miss. Cecile,_

 _You never really believed that I was from the future, but that's alright. There were parts of that story that I almost didn't believe. But all that really matters is that you believe in me and helped me when it mattered and that meant the world to me._

 _Sorry that I couldn't tell you about the future or if I scared you sometimes because of something that I did, it's just hard meeting a past version of someone you are close to. Although, I think you might have the opposite problem from me, you're going to meet me in a strange order. Keep an eye out for the younger me, I haven't really changed that much at all since then._

 _You may not understand this now, Cecile, but you might later. Thank you for saving me. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you this myself, but it matters a lot to me that you did what you did._

 _Thank you._

 _Suzaku.'_

Cecile dropped the letter onto her lap, staring at Suzaku's messy handwriting with her hands pressed to her mouth. He hadn't revealed anything about the future, but it was enough to give her hope. She would get to know Suzaku in her future as well. She would get to see his bright smile and hear him laugh and, suddenly, that meant the world to her.

It was silly and stupid, but she missed him already.

"With the way you're sighing, Cecile, many would think you have a crush." She jumped at the sound of Lloyd's voice, nearly dropping the letter. The scientist laughed and flopped into his seat, flicking the light off as he went. "We're going to be seeing him in the future, compose yourself."

She frowned and reached over to hit him, smirking when the blow landed. Lloyd whimpered and held his shoulder, glaring at her. "I will miss him for one thing, with Suzaku around you were less likely to hit me."

"Lloyd Asplund!" He flinched again, Cecile unable to stop herself from laughing. She shook her head and folded up her letter, shoving it into her pocket. She froze when she felt the edge of the other letter, pulling it out and waving it at him. "Here, it's yours."

Lloyd snatched up the letter and immediately shoved it into his pocket, sitting back and closing his eyes.

Cecile stared at him. "Aren't you going to read it?"

"I don't want to know my own future, Cecile. Boring."

"I know, but, Suzaku took the time to write that to you."

Lloyd turned his head toward her. "I'll read it in the future, when he's back. It can't spoil anything for me then."

Cecile shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention to the road, starting up the truck. "Suit yourself."

Lloyd mumbled something under his breath before curling up, wrapping his lab coat around him. "Remember, the dump."

"Of course. Like I would forget the reason I'm being kept from a good night's sleep."

"It's for the good of science, Cecile."

"Science." She rolled her eyes and began to drive out of the ghetto. "Right."

Lloyd remained silent for most of the ride to the dump, finally sitting up when they were getting close to their destination. "Cecile."

"Hm."

"We built a working time machine."

She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. Cecile turned to look at him, nodding slowly. "We did. Didn't we."


	29. Chapter 29

** Chapter Twenty-Nine **

_November 20, 2018_

The atmosphere at the party was stifling, her dress was too thick for a room this full of people, and they were all ignoring her in favor of Schneizel and Cornelia. Nunnally frowned, taking a sip from her wine glass.

It was barely a month since Lelouch's death and it felt like the whole world had just forgotten that he had ever existed. Nunnally's fingers tightened on the stem of her wineglass for a moment before she forced them to relax. She understood that the world had seen him as a tyrant, one worse than their father, but the few ambassadors and former nobles that had tentatively begun to return to Pendragon during the first week of November had too quickly forgotten that the empress of Britannia was his full sister. Lelouch's beloved sister.

Nunnally frowned, turning her wheelchair to place her wine glass on the table. She wouldn't be drinking anymore tonight. In fact, she wouldn't be staying at this party a moment longer. She would return to her rooms and change into something more comfortable. Perhaps she would read a bit before retiring to bed. Right now, she felt angry and exhausted, two things that she had been feeling all the time since she had returned to Pendragon.

She turned her wheelchair and headed for the door, ducking her head so her hair would cover her eyes. No one noticed the crippled empress leave the room, at least no one but Schneizel and Cornelia, but they didn't stop her. Nunnally knew that they wouldn't hesitate to cover for her, making some excuse about her poor physical health or pulling up some half remembered story about how she and Lelouch had danced in this room when they were children and it was suddenly too much for her. She knew that Schneizel and Cornelia cared deeply about her, that's why they hadn't said a word about her giving up her position as empress, but they weren't helping.

Nunnally didn't like to be reminded that she was weak, and she didn't like anyone else hearing about it either. Those people could see it. The moment she entered the room, all eyes dropped to her wheelchair, and then to her legs. There were times that she wanted to scream at them to stop looking at her like that. It wasn't her fault that they had schemed and killed her mother, those bullets were the ones to blame for the fact that she would never leave this chair. She didn't ask to be cripple for the rest of her life.

Most of all, she hated the pitying looks that they shot her at the mention of Lelouch's name. They were well aware of the relationship between the two siblings. And, at first, Nunnally had been glad that they had avoided talking about Lelouch with her or mentioning him. It was only later that she realized that they acted that way because they thought that she knew nothing about what her brother had done and none of them wanted to be the one to reveal to the empress that the whole world had hated him.

Her whole return to Pendragon had been like that, people treating her delicately, which she always appreciated in the beginning. But then it became too restrictive, something that was nearly hilarious after having lived with her overprotective brother for so long.

The problem was that people were being overprotective of her, making sure that she wanted for nothing while she mourned for the loss of her brother. Nunnally had lost count of the times women had come up to her and gently told her that it was alright to cry, the people wouldn't look down on her for it. Had they all forgotten that Nunnally had been raised in the same court as Lelouch and the others? She had been younger, but she did remember her brother's early complaints and the lectures her mother would give him. It had become second nature to not show weakness, originally because her mother had told her to and then later because she saw it was true. The smiles in court were false, everyone pushing to get more favor with the emperor. It was enough to make her glad that Lelouch had banished the court, she would have been happier without it.

And that led her to another problem, Cornelia and Schneizel. When they had returned to the administrative building the day after Lelouch's death, she had been overjoyed. The three of them had remained together for the whole day, just talking about anything but the war and Lelouch. It had mostly just been the three of them sitting and silence in the wonder that they were all alive. Nunnally hadn't noticed their worried looks or their quick glances at each other, too focused on not crying again and explaining why she wanted to abandon the building here and return to Pendragon in the next few days.

Now she could admit to herself that she had been running away. Pendragon had never felt like home, she and Lelouch had spent a lot of time there, but it had always been so cold. A place of fake smiles and fear. Area 11 had felt like their true home, the one place they had managed to be happy and then, suddenly, it wasn't. So she had run as fast as she could away from it, leaving the government there in a panic and a wreck. It had been so fast that only the essentials had been on the plane with them. Some of her things from Area 11 were still coming in, the last load promised to come tomorrow.

Even with her quick escape, she had still managed to complete one thing. She had buried Suzaku's empty coffin, although not with the decorum that he probably deserved. It had just been Schneizel, Cornelia, Jeremiah, Gino, Anya, Cecile, Lloyd, the guard who had acted as the decoy and herself. It was completely wrong for the man who had been the emperor's most trusted knight, but it was perfect for the disgraced image that Suzaku had seemed to want. And Nunnally still couldn't bring herself to correct it. In her mind, he had disgraced himself by not being there on that day. But he had upheld his end of the promise, leaving the Tokyo settlement by dawn, so she had held hers.

After that she had just stopped, she had kept to herself in her room or the gardens while Cornelia and Schneizel handled everything. It was easier this way, they could keep the empire safe while she made plans about what she wanted to do, although she was mostly finding deserted corners of the palace and crying.

Cornelia said that she was dealing with her grief well, the statement always coming with a pat on her shoulder and a kiss on the cheek. And a look of understanding and pity. Cornelia knew what it was like to lose a sibling, and she wasn't judging Nunnally for crying everyday. Because of that, or maybe because she only spoke like that in private, Nunnally could handle Cornelia's pity. The pity that she was shown by the rest of the court made her want to scream.

Did they honestly believed that she enjoyed crying at least once a day? Or that she liked spending her days carefully not thinking of Lelouch because it still hurt? There were days where she went about her duties listlessly because she couldn't bring herself to want to do anything. Was that what the court wanted to see? Did they just think her a weak princess, something to be liked because it was pretty and pitied because it was in pain?

She wasn't helping them dispel the image, especially since she had been leaving things to her siblings. But she had never wanted to rule the empire, she had never liked politics. She had only started speaking to Lelouch about it because she had felt that he needed someone else, someone other than Suzaku, to speak to. But she didn't have the quick mind or the firm grasp of the political world like Lelouch did, she hadn't been trained that way. She had been trained to look pretty and smile, because that's all she had been good for after she had been crippled.

Nunnally shook her head, suddenly angry with herself. When had she started believing what the court believed? Lelouch had never seen her like that, he had seen her as completely independent, even if he never wanted to acknowledge it. He had trusted her enough to speak to her about his plans for Britannia and had never spoken down her, like Schneizel did. Although, that was probably her own fault too. She had never been anything but the pretty princess around Schneizel, he had never gotten the chance to see the real her. That Nunnally had been reserved for her brother alone. But if she wanted to be taken seriously, she couldn't act that like anymore.

She sighed, finally paying attention to where she had been going. She had been so focused at getting away from the party that she hadn't cared where she went, just as long as it was far away. She had managed that at least, she had gone to the wing where they were storing all of Lelouch's things. Nunnally had yet to start sorting through the stuff, she hadn't even looked at it.

But, the good news was that no one would look for her here, something that she was counting on.

Nunnally swallowed and looked around, picking the door closest to her and opening it. Where she hid didn't matter anymore, the party would be going on for hours anyway, which meant that Schneizel and Cornelia would be busy for the rest of the night. They wouldn't come looking for her until the morning at the earliest.

She groped for the light switch, jumping in surprise when she realized that she was the room where they had moved everything from Lelouch's study. And everything was arranged exactly as it had been back in Area 11.

Nunnally pressed a hand to her mouth, willing herself not to cry. It was a stupid thing to cry over, the fact that the furniture was in a familiar arrangement. But, there was the desk that Lelouch had sat at with that perpetually bored look on his face, the one that would always disappear when she came into the room. And there was a couch that Lelouch and Suzaku would sit on together, always close together, and Lelouch would push away as soon as he realized that there was someone in the room.

She reached up to wipe the tears that were starting to fall from her eyes, attempting to force herself not to cry. She had to distract herself somehow without leaving his room. By now, guards would have followed her, and she didn't want to see the pity on their faces as well.

The desk was the first place she started, Nunnally resting a hand on the top before opening the first drawer. The items that had once littered the top of the desk were there, including a picture of Lelouch and her. Nunnally smiled and pulled it out, setting it on the top of the desk. She would take that back to her room. It would probably make her cry in the morning, but she didn't care, it was a picture of her brother on one of the rare occasions that he was truly smiling. Nunnally gently traced her fingers over the edge of the frame, smiling to herself.

She shook her head, shutting the drawer and leaning over further to pull out the next one. The drawer was filled with papers, Nunnally freezing at the familiar folded paper on the top. Her hands shook as she lifted the letter out of the drawer, staring at her name written on the front.

This was the letter that had been on her beside table the day that Lelouch was assassinated. She hadn't gotten the chance to read it that day and she had just left it afterward. When she hadn't been able to find it with her furniture, she had though that it had gotten lost. Apparently, it had been put with all the other papers.

Nunnally shivered, carefully unfolding the letter, glancing at it without reading it. She only saw the name at the bottom before throwing it away from her. Suzaku had written that letter. Suzaku had written that letter and had left it on the day of her brother's death. She stared at the letter on the floor, shaking her head. It was probably good that she hadn't read it before, because she would have just ripped it up at the first sign that it had been from Suzaku. Now, she just wasn't sure what to do about it.

She gave the letter one more glance before turning her attention to the other papers in the drawer. She rifled through them, not really paying attention to what they said. There was nothing that could interest her here anyway, just a distraction from the party and Suzaku's letter.

She reached the bottom of the stack quickly, Nunnally sighing and staring at the last folder at the bottom. She frowned as she actually began to read the letter attached to the front, getting through the first sentence before she reached down and pulled the folder out, her heart beating faster.

 _'At the time I'm writing this, there has been no successor chosen to take the Britannia throne, so you'll have to excuse the lack of proper formality._

 _Contained in this folder are the documents that will start your reign and the few things that I will absolutely make sure that you do. After this, what you do with the rest of your reign is your own. Although, be aware that I will be watching you. Attempt to bring the empire back to full strength or abuse Nunnally in any way and the throne will be taken from you as quickly as you gained it._

 _Enclosed in this folder are the documents needed to begin the process to free the Areas from Britannian control. I have studied each of them to the best of my abilities and have laid out a tentative schedule for their release along with a detailed list of prerequisites that they must have before they are truly free to recover their old names. Each Area should be made aware of the opportunity and be given the chance to take it. The prerequisites should be made known to at the start so they know exactly what they must do to gain their freedom. If the status of any Area has changed since you have come to the throne, make adjustments as needed. But all of the Areas must be freed. This is my order as emperor._

 _Second, there is a charter for an international body of nations to prevent an empire like Britannia from rising. The United Federation of Nations will stand as a ruling body over the entire world, comprised of all of the nations who wish to join. Their main purpose will be to hinder the rise of any superpowers who wish to gain power but subjugating the weak. Britannia must join this federation with the promise of freeing the Areas. If this order is not followed within three years of your coronation, then my agents will start it in other countries and pressure Britannia into joining._

 _All of this must be done to create a world were the weak can have a chance to defend themselves._

 _Third, enclosed are the plans for the restructuring of the Britannian government. With this system, the people will have the power to check the emperor and the emperor will have to answer to the Senate instead of wielding all the power. It will prevent another tyrant from rising again, although it will diminish the power of the emperor greatly. Even so, I doubt that a smart ruler will let that stop them._

 _Finally, I charge you with the protection of my sister, Nunnally, when she returns to Pendragon on days of her choosing. She is to be treated fairly and equal to her station. She has chosen to give up the political life and is therefore not a threat to your power, nor is she a tool to be used._

 _Failure to free the Areas, start the United Federation of Nations or treat Nunnally with respect will be met with immediate removal from the throne. The creation of a kinder world requires sacrifice and the willingness to give up your own desires for the sake of others. I have done the difficult part by ensure that I will be hated and that countries won't be as willing to jump into war, now it is your task to restore peace and keep it._

 _I am aware that peace cannot be expected to last forever, but as long as you make a visible effort to keep it. I also warn you to choose your successor carefully. The peace that we are both working for is too precious to waste.'_

Nunnally stared at her brother's neat handwriting, carefully resting her fingers over the words. So this is what Lelouch had been up to, the one thing that he had never told her when they had talked. He had been working to create peace and a better world.

She winced, dropping the folder onto her lap. He had been doing all of this for her. All of this because of one stupid comment at that she had made. Lelouch had always been asking her what she wished for when they were younger, always trying to make sure that he was keeping her happy. All she had wanted back then was a kinder and gentler world. She had been young and naïve back then, before she knew what people really had to do to keep the peace. But Lelouch, Lelouch had managed to create a scenario where her wish would come true.

Nunnally laughed, reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Brother, I meant with you. What's a kinder gentler world without you?"

She shook her head, sitting back in her wheelchair and staring at the wall. Lelouch had done all of this for her, had risked his life for her. Creating this world had taken his life, but he had promised her that it wouldn't, and she believed him. Even his letter hinted that he wouldn't hesitate to take back the throne if the next emperor had tried to ruin what Lelouch had put into motion. Lelouch had intended to live in this world with her, and a cruel twist of fate had taken him away.

She pressed a hand over her mouth to smother a laugh. She was just so tired of crying that laughing seemed to be the only thing left to her. Nunnally shook her head, tipping her head back to look up at the ceiling. For some reason, it felt good to know that Lelouch had intended to stay with her, that his assassination hadn't been a part of the plan. It had been a mistake, a horrible mistake. Just like the fact that Suzaku hadn't been with him on that day had been a mistake.

At the thought of Suzaku, she looked down at the letter on the ground. She didn't quite hate him anymore, it was more resentment that he hadn't been able to do anything. She was crippled and weak, she couldn't protect her brother the way she should have been able to. That was why Suzaku had been there. She had trusted him completely with Lelouch's safety, which is why his failure had hurt so badly.

Now, she was just resigned, resigned to the fact that her brother was dead and that nothing would chance that. Her reaction to Suzaku that day had been harsh, banishment was a bit too much, but she still didn't think that it had been completely unwarranted. Still, she had handled the follow up sloppily. He didn't deserve what she had done, because he was probably hurting from losing Lelouch too. Suzaku and Lelouch had been in love, so Suzaku had to be out there, hurting as much as she was.

Nunnally took a deep breath and leaned down to pick up the letter, gently unfolding it.

 _'Nunnally,_

 _I never meant to lie to you about Lelouch. I wanted to protect him from everything. The truth is that I am loyal to him over Britannia, which is what makes this decision hard. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to tell you the whole story or if there is time to tell you it here, so go ask Cecile and Lloyd and then you'll understand what I mean._

 _I had to choose between the good of the world and Lelouch, but now it is obvious what I chose. It may not help you much, but Lelouch almost won._

 _I never meant to hurt you or make you hate me, but I guess that it doesn't matter now, especially after what I've done. And since I admit that I knew what was going to happen to Lelouch from the moment I got here, I expect that the hatred is deserved. I wanted to stay away so you two wouldn't have been caused so much pain, but obviously I failed in that to._

 _I really did lo-I tried to make your brother's last months the best I could._

 _I understand if you never want to see me or hear me again. And, by all means, make whatever you want of my 'death'. I probably deserve it for keeping this from you and Lelouch._

 _I think I can safely promise that you will never see me again, Nunnally, and I understand if you want to keep it that way. After all, I caused the loss of Lelouch and Euphemia, all because I was too selfish to give up my future. But, for what it's worth, I am just as loyal to you as an empress Nunnally and I'm not mocking you when I say that I am grateful for what you have done to help the world. Your brother would be proud, you created the world that he always wanted._

 _Suzaku.'_

She stared at the letter, feeling her hand shake.

Somehow, Suzaku had known what she was going to do to him, and he had still left his fate in her hands. He had known that she was going to banish him. He could have run away on that day, but he had stayed because of his loyalty.

And he had called her empress.

Nunnally clutched the letter to her chest, blinking quickly. Suzaku had called her empress and thanked her for all that she had done, when she had done nothing at all. He had vowed his loyalty to her after she had banished him and thanked her for letting others take over.

She knew what Schneizel and Cornelia were trying to do at that party. They were trying to gain the support of the rich people, to raise them back to nobles. They would bring back the aristocracy and return Britannia to the way it had been before. The Areas would never be freed, because they were too valuable to be let go. Everything that Lelouch had worked for, everything that he had sacrificed, everything that he had died for would be worthless. She couldn't let that happen.

Nunnally dropped the letter into her lap, staring at the folder before carefully taking Lelouch's letter off the front. She slipped both of the letters into the folder before turning to face the door. It was time she stopped moping around and hoping that someone else would do something to make the world better. It was time to make her own wish come true instead of depending on other people. And she wasn't alone, she had Suzaku's support and Lelouch's plans, with those she could do anything.

She jumped as the door opened, surprised to see Gino and Anya waiting outside. "Lady Nunnally?"

"I'm fine, Gino." She smiled at the two of them, heading out into the hall. She glanced back over her shoulder, clutching the folder close. "I have a favor to ask of the two of you. Will you help me change the world?"

Gino looked surprised, Anya just looking at her with the usual even expression. Nunnally bit her lip, looking back down the hall. "My brother was working for something, something that none of us even knew about. Everything he did was for me, and I've been doing nothing."

"You were mourning."

"For too long, Gino." She looked over her shoulder at him. "I've gotten used to everyone doing things for me, but not anymore. And I'm tired of watching them pity me and I'm tired of crying everyday. I want to be happy again."

"I understand."

"Thank you." Nunnally smiled and gestured for Gino to come to her side. The knight obeyed, Anya stepping up to begin pushing Nunnally back down the hall. "We'll return to the party, I have an announcement to make."

"What do you want us to do?"

"Remain by my side, support me." Nunnally tapped the folder against her chest. "I don't think they will do anything, but I want to be ready. More importantly, I want to be taken seriously."

They made their way back to the ballroom, Nunnally not surprised to see it was in full swing. Schneizel was doing his best to make these people believe in the promise of getting their titles and land back. He was creating his own image of Britannia, and Nunnally wouldn't let him. Since her brother had died, the title of empress went to her, passing through the family since Lelouch had declared Schneizel and Cornelia rebels. It would only go to them if they killed her and took the throne, something that she didn't believe that they could do. Cornelia certainly wouldn't, and she would keep Schneizel from doing the same.

All the same, they would be problems for her. Nunnally flinched, realizing why Lelouch had been so eager to get them out of the way. She wouldn't use her brother's tactics, but she would have to think of something. Still, it could wait a little longer, at least until her plans were in motion. She could count on them being as shocked as the rest of the nation after her announcement.

Nunnally quickly adjusted her skirt and wiped the tears from her face, knowing that she didn't look her best. But at least she looked presentable, and that was all that mattered. She cleared her throat and tipped her head up, trying to look like an empress. Lelouch had managed to look so regal all the time, something that she would have to struggle to do.

She must have managed to do so, because heads were turning as she was wheeled to the front of the room where the emperor traditionally sat. The place had been kept empty out of respect for Lelouch, and it had been empty for far too long. Nunnally took a quick breath, forcing herself to keep looking ahead. She was safe, with Anya at her back and Gino at her side. Somewhere in the crowd was Jeremiah, and he would defend her if she got in trouble. She had seen the soldier that had helped her back in Area 11 as well, standing somewhere along the wall. She had allies, and that was enough to keep some of her nervousness at bay.

Anya pivoted her wheelchair when they got to the front of the room, Nunnally looking out at all of the people and clearing her throat. "If you would excuse me, I have an announcement to make."

It took a few moments for the room to quiet down, Nunnally lowering the folder to her lap and holding onto her skirt so that no one could see how much her hands were shaking.

When it was relatively silent, she began. "I have decided on what to do, as the empire has gone without a leader for too long. And for that, I apologize, it was selfish to keep you all waiting. But I have come to terms with my brother's death and I am ready to take my place on the throne." There were gasps, and Nunnally caught the look of horror on Cornelia's face, she ignored them, continuing on. "My brother did a lot of bad things in his reign, but I will fix them to the best of my abilities and make sure that we never suffer under such a tyrant again."

There was silence in the room, Nunnally afraid that the people could all hear her heartbeat. She had gambled with this announcement, and it looked like it wouldn't pay off. The people weren't responding and it would only take Schneizel and Cornelia to ruin her chances forever.

Her breath caught in her throat as Schneizel and Cornelia walked out of the crowd. She tightened her hold on her skirt, aware of how Gino leaned closer to her. Then Cornelia knelt.

Nunnally leaned back in her wheelchair at that, staring at her half sister in surprise. Cornelia glanced up at her before lowering her gaze again. "If this is what you want."

"It is."

"Then I recognize you as empress." Cornelia looked up with a smile, Nunnally belatedly remembering to give her permission to rise. Cornelia got to her feet and walked to her side. "I was hoping that I wouldn't have to step in, I never wanted to be empress."

"And Schneizel?" Nunnally watched as the other people in the room dropped into bows and curtsies. Schneizel was the last one to join, Nunnally not quite able to read the expression on his face.

Cornelia leaned closer to her. "He'll have to now."

Nunnally nodded, finally relaxing as they started chanting her name. She hoped that, wherever he was, Lelouch was watching her, because she was going to make him proud.

* * *

Despite the prevalence of the nickname the Traitor Knight, Sir Suzaku Kururugi was perhaps the best knight to ever serve under Britannia. He still holds the record for the second best performance percentage on a Knightmare, second only to the last Knight of One, Sir Bismarck Waldstein.

The Lancelot that Sir Kururugi piloted was also perhaps the best Knightmare to come from Britannia. The Knightmare was created as a prototype by Lloyd Asplund and remained the one Knightmare that all the newest systems were tested on. It was the first Knightmare to be equipped with the float system, to come equipped with the Blaze Luminous shield system, to wield the VARIS rifle and the refined version of the MVS swords that were later used on Knightmares after it.

The success of this experimental Knightmare has been contributed to its design, the Lancelot kept as streamlined as possible, but also to its pilot. Sir Kururugi managed to get the most out of the Knightmare by using a combination of martial arts and recklessness, which made it deadly in battle.

The original Lancelot Knightmare was badly damaged in the Rounds Rebellion on November 7, 2017. Displayed here is the Lancelot Albion, the Knightmare that was based entirely on the original design, built with the useable pieces of the Lancelot and with the experimental features that were on the original Lancelot coming as standard. The Lancelot Albion served as Sir Kururugi's personal Knightmare until the day of his death on October 29, 2018.

-From the Knights and their Knightmares Exhibit at the National Museum of Military History in Pendragon

* * *

Perhaps the best known scandal of Lelouch's reign was his relationship with his knight, Suzaku Kururugi.

Servants and guards at the time state that Suzaku Kururugi was picked out by Euphemia li Britannia to be the Knight of Seven in an attempt to appease the JLF, but evidence hints at the fact that he was already close to Lelouch then. As a Royal Guard, Suzaku had been assigned to Lelouch and was sleeping in Lelouch's rooms by his second day. He continued to sleep in Lelouch's rooms during his time as the Knight of Seven, even while he was conspiring with Euphemia, making it impossible for Suzaku to have been having an affair with Euphemia at the same time. Euphemia too was in a relationship at the time, with the Knight of Five, Albert Raleigh, so she would have not involved herself with a relatively unknown Eleven knight other than to satisfy the demands of the JLF.

The exact date that the two became lovers in unknown, although there are a few theories that have been put forward. One is that they became lovers sometime after the battle of Narita, after Suzaku risked his life to save Lelouch. A second one is that they became lovers after Suzaku became the Knight of Seven. The final theory is that Lelouch seduced Suzaku from the moment he was promoted into the Royal Guard.

The scholars on the reign of Lelouch vi Britannia are generally divided on these theories; although a good portion of the scholars believe that there isn't enough evidence to hold most of the theories up. A few believe that the first two theories are more accurate, seeing as Lelouch and Suzaku were not seen speaking to each other publically until that moment. Most scholars believe that the evidence supports the third theory. There is well documented evidence that Lelouch vi Britannia preferred men to women, including statements from his own siblings.

This final theory also explains how Suzaku rose so quickly through the ranks, appearing suddenly in the Royal Guard before moving on to be Lelouch's personal knight over the space of nine months. Lelouch must have found Suzaku in the ranks of the Honorary Britannians when he returned to Area 11 to quell the rebellions there and had begun to put Suzaku on a path that would rise him through the ranks quickly by sending the Lancelot Suzaku's way and then demanding that the experimental Knightmare be included with the Royal Guard.

Suzaku's rise through the ranks should not be interpreted as Lelouch trying to show that the Elevens could gain what they wanted if they were peaceful, but as an attempt to get his lover closer to him and in a position where a relationship between the two would be accepted if not expected by the common people.

-From _Scandals of the Britannian Royal Family_ by Erik Sherrard

* * *

The person with the most power during the War of Ascension, aside from Lelouch vi Britannia himself, was the knight Suzaku Kururugi. Little was known about him at the time, save that he was an Eleven that rose quickly through the military ranks to become a Knight of the Round and, later when the Knights of the Round were dissolved, the personal knight of the emperor himself.

Recently, because of the Royal Document Release Act of 2025, historians have been able to look over correspondence, laws and personal diaries of the royals during this time, revealing much about what was going on behind the scenes in the Britannian empire. It was through these documents that historians were able to find out that the man known as the White Death, Suzaku Kururugi, was merely an alias.

The exile of Lelouch vi Britannia and his sister after the assassination of their mother is a well known fact, but exactly who they stayed with over the course of that summer before the invasion of Japan was a mystery. Through a series of letters between the prime minister of Japan, Shou Kato and the 98th Emperor, Charles vi Britannia, the hiding spot of the two siblings was revealed to be with a family of influence, the Sumeragis.

What happened during that one summer and the invasion that followed it is still unknown, as many documents from that time were lost or destroyed by the invading Britannians. However, it is known that most of the family managed to escape from the destruction of the government building and their family home, only to die in the harsh conditions that followed for days after the defeat as Britannia gathered their hold on the government. In the end, only Yaso and his daughter, Kaguya, survived to the public's knowledge. Yaso Sumeragi's heir and only son, Daiki was never found.

Daiki's whereabouts remained a mystery from the time of the invasion until the year 2017, when Emperor Lelouch turned his full attention to Japan, then called Area 11. Speculation runs rampant about what Daiki Sumeragi did during the interim, as he was never listed as one of the members of the resistance groups nor ever mentioned as one of those who had lived in the survivor's warehouses during the rebuilding period. Theories and evidence lean away from the popular idea that he was either a spy for Lelouch in the various resistance movements or a personal servant of the young emperor during this time. Instead, they point to the fact that he joined the military as a self preservation method.

The fact that Daiki was missing during the critical first years of the War of Ascension means that he and the vi Britannia siblings must have been separated during the Invasion of Japan, a fact that Empress Nunnally herself admitted when these papers were released to the public. She also expressed a fondness for Daiki when he was younger and implied that he and Lelouch had been childhood friends, which further explains why Daiki joined the Britannian military despite the hatred for his race. At the time, he was merely trying to find his two childhood friends or continue to show his loyalty to them in some small way.

The event that catapulted Daiki into the spotlight was his recovery of the experimental Knightmare Frame Lancelot during the Battle of Shinjuku. From what little there remains of the transcripts of that conversation, it was clear that he was given the choice to return with the unfamiliar Knightmare, as Japanese at that time were not allowed to pilot the Britannian war machines, or continue on the original mission. His loyalty to the emperor made him chose the latter, thus leading him back to Lelouch.

It is the fact that they were old friends more than anything that led to Daiki's first promotion in the Britannian military, the first Japanese man and, certainly, the first person from the captured Areas, to become a member of the Royal Guard. Following his promotion, Lelouch immediately assigned Daiki to himself alone, to the point where Daiki was practically living in the emperor's rooms as a precaution against assassination attempts.

The reason for Daiki's promotion to the Knights of the Round is equally as clear. Transcripts and records from the G-1 vehicle that was used at Narita show that Euphemia li Britannia made a deal with the JLF to save her brother's life, one that entailed a show of trust. With vacancies in the Knights of the Round, Daiki was quickly knighted to show his support to the JLF. The cover story for his involvement in Euphemia's plans was equally as easy, he was Lelouch's best friend.

Speculation that he slept with Euphemia at this time remains just that, speculation. Euphemia li Britannia is noted for her long affair with Knight of Five, Albert Raleigh. The relationship between the two was ongoing until Euphemia's death on September 23, 2017 and there is no proof that an affair between Daiki and her actually occurred. The reason for those rumors was so that they could continue to work closely without having Lelouch suspect them of treason.

Certainly Daiki was an important part of the work to free Japan from Britannia's hold under Euphemia, but the extent that he believed in it was not known. His promotion to the Knight of Seven was done because the JLF demanded it and Lelouch trusted him enough to allow the promotion, Daiki didn't know Euphemia until they met during this period of time. Surely this split in loyalty was enough to make him nervous, along with the threats on his person by Albert Raleigh. While it is not known if Daiki told Lelouch about the plans with Euphemia, it is a telling sign that Lelouch left Britannia after he had arrived only a few days before without telling any of his staff or the Knights of the Round. Eye witness reports from the JLF put Lelouch's Knightmare, the Japanese made Shinkiro, at the stadium where Euphemia's Special Administrative Zone was scheduled to open as well as Raleigh.

According to the official reports and a statement from Lelouch vi Britannia himself, Albert Raleigh was the one to murder Princess Euphemia by ripping her apart with his Knightmare. Evidence suggests otherwise as Raleigh was fiercely loyal to his country and Euphemia. Lelouch had given his blessing for the Special Administrative Zone to be created, so Raleigh would have taken that as his law. It is more likely that Lelouch returned from Britannia because of what Euphemia was planning. He ordered Euphemia's death for her treasonous actions, which Daiki almost certainly carried out since his loyalty was to Lelouch and not to the empire. Albert Raleigh was to follow his princess as he attempted to protect Princess Euphemia and committed treason himself.

Lelouch surely ordered the assassination of the JLF representatives that were to meet with his sister that day as well. Unfortunately, that move did not have the success that his sister's murder. Instead, it incited the First Attack on the Tokyo Settlement, a last ditch attempt by the JLF to take the capital and force the Britannians out. Common knowledge at the time suggests that no one knew that Lelouch had returned, so his appearance on the battlefield demoralized the already outnumbered JLF force. They retreated quickly with large casualties and went underground.

To tell whether Lelouch's shock over his half sister's death was faked or not is impossible, since no records survive of him talking about her save for her funeral address and when he pin-pointed her killer, naming Raleigh to protect Daiki. It is known that this accusation caused his popularity with the Britannians in the homeland to dramatically decrease. He destroyed his popularity further by enacting the laws that would grant the citizens of the Areas more power, keeping his publically made promise that he would finish Euphemia's work, continuing the lie that her death had been a murder.

The final blow to his popularity came when he passed the laws that would destroy the nobility entirely. By stripping the nobles of everything but their land and their titles, he managed to stop most of the corruption of Britannia that that time, although his motivations were less than noble. Lelouch created that law to punish the ones who had supported the assassination of his mother.

The frustrations from these new laws culminated in the Rounds Rebellion where eight of the eleven remaining Knights of the Round attempted to destroy the seat of the Britannian government in Japan. The Knight of Three, Gino Weinberg, and the Knight of Six, Anya Alstreim, were not present in this rebellion. Anya Alstreim was from a poorer noble family, so had no complaint about the laws as they, in fact, made her situation better than before. Gino Weinberg is still well known for his scorn for his noble status and has stated that as his reason for avoiding the rebellion. The whereabouts of the Knight of Seven is well known at the time as he was the one responsible for the deaths of the eight knights, all killed single handedly.

The Rounds Rebellion preceded another change, the complete dissolution of the Knights of the Round, a group that had been around since the beginning of the Britannian monarchy. Knights retained their titles and lands but they were no longer recognized by number, another unpopular move.

After the Rounds Rebellion, it is hard to find evidence of what Lelouch was doing as there is little left from the months of November 2017 to April 2018. Daiki Sumeragi was grounded during this time as the Lancelot had been damaged enough to warrant its complete destruction and replacement. It's logical to assume that he returned to his duties as a guard to the emperor.

It is around this time that the rumors began that Lelouch vi Britannia and Daiki Sumeragi were lovers, something that is neither supported in the paper evidence of the time or during the recordings. Most conspiracy theorists cite the one recorded incident where Lelouch leaned on Daiki after the announcement of Euphemia's murder, but nothing follows after that. Empress Nunnally vi Britannia herself has pointed out that after the Knights of the Round were dissolved her brother feared another assassination attempt, so he kept Daiki closer as protection.

Only in April did the emperor feel safe enough to emerge from the seclusion he had kept himself in. Daiki was promoted again on April 10, 2018 to the position of personal knight to the emperor, a position that hadn't been held since Marianne vi Britannia. It was the position he would retain until his death.

Once again there was a period of calm until August 10, 2018 when the newly renamed JLF, now calling themselves the Black Knights, attempted a raid on the Tokyo Settlement. Tired of repeated failures to win, some of the pilots pulled away from the raid on the warehouses and tried to storm the administrative building. Daiki was the first Knightmare off the ground and the bait in Lelouch's plan to trap the Black Knights. However, Lelouch only succeeded in momentarily crippling them by forcing them to retreat and abandon some of their Knightmares. Although the Black Knights recovered most of the Knightmares they had left behind, Lelouch did managed to cut their number again.

They clashed again on August 29, 2018 at the Battle of Mount Fuji this time with support from Prince Schneizel and the EU. The F.L.E.I.J.A. was introduced at this battle, the weapon equally damaging to both sides.

Daiki appears again as one of the important fighters in the battle. He was a part of the core team that disabled Schneizel's Damocles fortress. His shining moment was when he defeated and captured the ace pilot, Kallen Kozuki, crippling the Guren and stranding her on the top of the Damocles. The Guren Mark-II was later salvaged and now stands with the Lancelot Albion in the Britannian National Museum of Military History.

He continued to be a strong force in Britannian politics after the defeat, sticking by Lelouch as the emperor systematically worked through the executions of the Black Knights, saving the leaders for last. The executions and small rebellions that came with them took so long that it was well into October before Lelouch could turn his attention to the leaders.

On the morning of October 29, 2018, Lelouch set out to preside over the executions of two of his remaining siblings and the rest of the Black Knights. He was assassinated around one in the afternoon by a single man, one part of the band of assassins made up of the few Black Knights that had managed to escape from the Battle of Mount Fuji. Lelouch was stabbed in the chest and bled out on the platform where his throne sat before his body was carried away so the guards couldn't prevent its eventual dismemberment and burning.

Why Daiki wasn't with his friend on this crucial day was still a mystery as none of the servants report an argument between the two of them. It is known that he was confronted by Nunnally for his failure in his duty and that there was an order for Daiki Sumeragi's execution in Lelouch's desk. Why that order was there is still unknown, although most scholars speculate that it had been signed and then put away during one of Lelouch's more paranoid moments. Certainly, Lelouch never intended to use it on his most loyal servant.

If Daiki found out about the order and Lelouch's moment of doubt is not certain, because he was found dead in the room he had shared with the emperor by Nunnally vi Britannia. He was found run through by his own sword with only a single note to explain his actions: 'Where my emperor goes, I must follow.'

He was buried quietly on the orders of Empress Nunnally in one of the cemeteries in Japan under his false name of Suzaku Kururugi. It is ironic he was buried so far from the few remains they had managed to gather of Lelouch, the emperor interred in the same mausoleum that his mother, Marianne vi Britannia, was buried.

-From _Decoding the Demon_ by Samuel S. Copen

* * *

The assassination of Lelouch vi Britannia was a last minute attempt to get a victory for the rebellion, one that succeeded and brought his sister Nunnally to the throne.

The plan and the choosing of the five assassins was done under the orders of one of the Black Knights leaders, although the identity of that leader is still unknown. The five chosen for the job fled from the Battle of Mount Fuji when Lelouch entered the Damocles, ditching their Knightmares and heading for Tokyo. There, they stayed in the warehouses by the docks and waited for news.

The assassination on October 29, 2018 was a combination of orders, to prevent the execution of the leaders of the Black Knights and to kill the emperor before the end of the year. The assassination was carried out flawlessly, the five assassins hiding in Lelouch's escort and attacking him when he had come halfway to the execution grounds.

After the deed was carried out, they scattered carrying the body of the emperor. Whether they planned to dump the body elsewhere or give to the crowd is unknown, but the crowd did get their hands on the body. By then, the assassins had returned to the warehouse where they were captured by Jeremiah Gottwald and a small group of soldiers who had received a tip from one of their own.

That day four of the five assassins were caught and taken in for questioning. They refused to reveal who had really sent him or their names. Instead they identified themselves as Nine, Thirteen, Seventeen and Two, indentifying themselves by the names of Areas.

Some scholars have put forward the theory that these four were rejects from the Black Knights, soldiers and pilots who were too violent to be kept with the rest of the group and to obey orders. Sending them to assassinate Lelouch would have not only gotten rid of the people that would have caused them trouble when they took control of Japan, but it also would have led to their escape from Lelouch in the panic that his death would have caused.

In any case, the actions of those five men changed the world, although only four of the five were ever caught.

The fifth assassin's identity is still a mystery to this day. The four that were caught admitted that there were only five of them involved in the plan and that none of them were the one who stabbed Lelouch early on in their interrogations. Searches to find the mysterious fifth assassin have proved fruitless, and none of the other four would recognize their colleagues in a line up, even if the other three were present.

As a play off the other four's names, the fifth assassin was called Zero by the papers, as the man couldn't be found so his Area couldn't be identified. The people quickly adopted the name and it remains the only way of indentifying the fifth assassin.

The evidence that has been pieced together about Zero is that he escaped the country that day and hid in one of the countries that had made up the Chinese Federation. The search for the fifth assassin didn't start until a week after the other four had been captured, when they finally revealed that not all of them had been captured. The other fact that is known about Zero is that he was the one who gave the emperor's body to the crowd, presumably because he wanted to get away faster and it would keep the crowd and the Britannian army distracted.

Many reports have come in over the years from people claiming to have found Zero, but there had been no way to prove them. Even with one of the former assassins working to find his missing comrade, the one that still calls himself Thirteen, Zero has not been found.

-From _The End of an Era: A History of Political Assassinations_ by John Kato

* * *

After declaring herself the empress of Britannia, Nunnally vi Britannia called off the search for her brother's body. A televised ceremony of the funeral was shown, although it was specifically stated that the coffin they were burying was held only a few scraps of fabric that had escaped the fires. A monument in the Aries Cemetery was erected for Lelouch vi Britannia beside the mausoleum that both he and his mother, Marianne vi Britannia, had been buried in.

Immediately after the funeral, Nunnally called all ambassadors back to Pendragon. In the week of messy negotiations and demands, Nunnally managed to form the United Federation of Nations and get the EU to agree to join. When the news that the EU had joined the UFN, the rest of the free nations scrambled to join.

Nunnally waited until the UFN had formed and procedure had started before petitioning for the right to have Britannia enter. Her request was quickly refused as Britannia would have had the voting power to overturn the entire assembly. In a brilliant political move, Nunnally revealed her plans to free the Areas, producing outlines and requirements of each Area to be met before they would be freed. Not long after the news was sent to the Areas in control of Britannia and Britannia was promised entry into the UFN as soon as the first two Areas were freed, until then, their council member would be allowed to sit in on meetings but not vote.

Schneizel el Britannia, Nunnally's half brother, was the representative picked. Schneizel was well known for his diplomatic success in the EU before Lelouch had taken the throne. Sending Schneizel to meet with the UFN, whose headquarters were then located in Australia, one of the neutral nations, also kept him out of Nunnally's way. Schneizel was the most likely out of the two remaining Britannian heirs that had survived to take the throne from Nunnally.

Cornelia was also sent away to help with the rebuilding of the Areas, as one of the requirements was to have the beginnings of a militia. However, Nunnally soon withdrew Cornelia from the job and instead sent one of Britannia's best generals, assigning Cornelia to the training of the Britannian army.

Nunnally then turned her attention to Japan, the Area most affected by the War of Ascension. Cities in Japan still and ruined portions from the battles that had been fought and the riots that had started on the day of Lelouch's assassination. The Japanese people were struggling to meet the requirements that would gain their freedom with the rebuilding efforts going on and miniature rebellions began popping up.

Sir Gino Weinberg was sent to oversee their efforts and act as a temporary viceroy until an election could be held. He remained viceroy for a year, resigning officially in early December 2019, just two days before Kaname Ohgi, the former leader of the Black Knights, was elected as the Prime Minister of Japan. The election of a rebel leader to Japan's government nearly caused the UFN to refuse Britannia entry when Iceland and New Zealand, formerly Areas 5 and 9, gained their freedom. However, after seeing how smoothly Japan ran under Prime Minister Ohgi, Britannia was granted entrance.

All but Japan and the Middle Eastern Federation, formerly Areas 11 and 18, were freed over the course of the year 2020. Those two countries followed in early 2021, leaving the world without any of its former superpowers.

Without Britannia supervising them, the Areas then began to tear down the Britannian administrative buildings. Only through quick negotiations was Nunnally able to save the gardens and the copy of the Aries Villa that was at the top of the administration building located in Japan. They were both taken and put in one of the Ueno Koen Park, the villa made into an art museum. In the place of these buildings, monuments or embassies were built.

Tensions between the EU and the former Britannian empire began to escalate in 2028 when the last Area has stabilized as it looked like some of the EU countries wanted to join together. But they were stopped by Nunnally and the UFN, both stating that they wouldn't fight a war and that the member nations that began to form a superpower would be thrown out. An uneasy peace was settled between Britannia and the EU, one that makes the scholars predict that, after the death of Empress Nunnally, the EU will prove to be the next problem for the world and the UFN.

-From _The War of Ascension and Aftermath_ by Judy Garver

* * *

 _December 18, 2028_

Cecile sighed as she jerked the door to lab C-2 shut, rattling the handle to make sure that the lab was securely closed before locking it. She leaned against the door for a moment, resisting the urge to hit it. She had lost count of how many times this door had prevented her from getting home on time, or at least before Lloyd started complaining that he was hungry and rooting around in the fridge. Cecile was getting close to telling him that he was old enough to cook his own food and just letting him starve, but then she would have to put up with him looking miserable for the rest of the night.

She shook her head and pushed away from the door, snatching up the trash bag. At least C-2 was close to the kitchen, which meant that she was essentially done. All she had to do was drop this bag in the dumpster and then she could go home. Lloyd had already left earlier, rushing to check on something in the garage after hearing about Rakshata's latest triumph. Cecile was expecting to get home and find that Lloyd had duplicated her success and that he was working on making it better.

One of these days, she would have to get the two of them together, secretly of course. Cecile was sure that the rest of the scientists that worked with Lloyd would be thrilled to watch that and even join in. If she could just get the two of them to collaborate and then reveal that they had been working together…it would be the best reaction ever.

Or Lloyd would mope around the house for a week before nearly setting the garage on fire. That was probably the more accurate version of events.

Cecile winced, dragging the trash bag into the kitchen. She didn't want to have another panic caused by chemicals set on fire. While it wasn't her dream house, she still liked the house they were living in. It had just enough room to hold a family if she ever got married and had children and it was in a nice neighborhood, many of the Britannian scientists who had decided to come over when Nunnally had offered it to them were living there. It was close enough to her dream home that Cecile was happy with it.

Although, it would be even closer to perfect if she could kick Lloyd out, or at least move him into a roomy shed in the small backyard. It wasn't that she didn't like her employer, she had long since gotten used to the way Lloyd thought, it was just that she was sure that it looked questionable to the new employees and the government officials that visited.

Lloyd was living with her just because he had appeared one day, and it had been impossible for her to not help him. It had just spiraled out from there until he was essentially living in her garage. To be brutally honest with herself, she enjoyed his company.

Cecile sighed and set the trash bag by the door. She would have to walk to the front of the building to lock up, turning off the lights as she went. She wanted to be sure that everything she had was here before leaving. Her purse was on the bench seat behind the table, hidden by her coat. She set both of them on the table before turning to the door that led outside.

She turned the doorknob, nudging the door open as she dragged the bag after her. Cecile had to pause for a moment, jumping awkwardly over the bag to stick her foot against the door to edge the bag out just a little further. She smiled when she managed the job, shivering in the cold. It would have been smarter to put on her coat instead of just going out in her work clothes. Even her lab coat would have given her a little bit more warmth. She shook her head and walked towards the dumpster.

A can was suddenly thrown from the dumpster, knocking against the ground before rattling across the pavement. Cecile followed the movement of the can with her eyes, not aware that she had pulled out her gun until she felt the familiar weight settle into her hands. She blinked in surprise at her action, she had always tried not to resort to the soldier mindset. She was a scientist, she should have been above all of that. But she had gotten so used to carrying a gun around, for her own protection and as a habit from the A.S.E.E.C.

The Japanese people still didn't trust them, the ones who had made the Knightmares who had helped keep them quiet, and Cecile couldn't blame them. But she wanted peace as much as they did, and it was a bit disheartening to be lumped with the other Britannians who wanted the empire back.

Cecile shook the thoughts from her head, taking a careful step forward. "Who's there?"

For a moment, no one answered. Then a dark shape appeared from the dumpster. The head of the shadow dropped, staring at her gun before cursing. The shape remained still for a moment longer before scrambling out of the dumpster, dangling over the side before dropping down to the ground.

She followed it, keeping the gun trained on the shadow. "Stop. Put your hands in the air and turn to face me, slowly."

The shadow hesitated before it moved, slowly raising it's hands up into the air. It remained like that for a second before edging into the light, Cecile's mother dropped open as she saw it was only a boy, scrambling to put her gun away. "Sorry. I'm so sorry. I though that you were…"

She trailed off as she got a good look at the both, her mouth dropping open in shock. Despite the dirty that covered his face, she recognized him. She knew that face, although she knew it better with most of the baby fat gone. She knew the curly brown hair that was always a mess, although it looked like an impossible tangle right now. And, most of all, she knew those green eyes. It was Suzaku.

The gun dropped out of her hand, clattering on the ground. Suzaku flinched and took a step backwards.

Cecile grabbed the gun and put it safely back, taking a step back, suddenly desperate to keep him here. "No, no. Don't be afraid." She swallowed, trying not to move to quickly. She didn't want to scare him away, not after not seeing him for ten years.

She wracked her brain for something that would keep him there, only now noticing the state he was in. His clothing was tattered, large holes doting both his shirt and pants, and both looked like they were ready to give at any moment. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything, he was frightened enough as it was. Talking to him like she knew him would do nothing but scare him away faster.

Cecile sighed, taking another step back. She had waited ten years to see Suzaku again, he had said that he would see them again in the future, that they would meet again. But she hadn't expected to meet him like this, a skinny kid from the streets.

She smiled as she got an idea. "Are you hungry? I could get you something." She reached back to open the door, gesturing inside. "Come in."

Suzaku took one look at the kitchen, before shaking his head. Cecile could tell from the way that he leaned forward, his hands wrapped around his stomach, that he was hungry, but he was afraid of going inside.

She frowned. "Alright. I'll bring you food then. Just promise me that you'll stay here."

Cecile waited until he had nodded before rushing inside. She stumbled to the refrigerator, pulling it open with a little more force than needed. She had to hurry, because she wasn't sure that Suzaku would stay there. Her Suzaku, the one she knew from the future, he would have stayed there. But this Suzaku was frightened and starving, he would probably run at the first noise that he couldn't identify.

She pulled out the lunch that she had brought for Lloyd, the one that he hadn't eaten. It was probably barely enough for Suzaku, but it was something.

When she dashed back outside, she was relieved to see that Suzaku was still there, although he was looking around nervously and rubbing his arms. He jumped when he saw her, taking a step back into the shadows. Cecile shook her head and held out the container, smiling when he edged towards her. "Here, for you. You must be hungry."

Suzaku glanced at the food before staring at her, Cecile feeling her heart beating faster. He didn't trust her at all, and that hurt. She had expected him to trust her because some part of him recognized her. But that wasn't possible, he wouldn't remember her like this because he hadn't travelled to the past yet.

She knelt down on the ground, stretching out her arm and putting the container on the ground between them. "You can take it." She laughed when he gave the container a sideways glance, sitting down and pulling her knees to her chest. "It's for you. You need it more than I do."

Suzaku's eyes lit up at that, the corner of his mouth twitching up before he took a step forward.

Cecile held her breath as he edged toward the food, letting it out in a rush as he grabbed the container and ran to the mouth of the alley. Cecile jumped to the feet, surprised that Suzaku paused, turning around to look at her. "Thank you!"

And then he was gone, running across the street and into the night.

For a moment, Cecile was ready to go after him, but she held herself back. That would just scare him even more. Besides, he knew the alleys better than she did. She took a step back, nearly falling over the trash bag.

She caught herself on the door, staring at the ground, unable to keep the smile from her face. She had found Suzaku once, and she would find him again. She would volunteer for trash duty every night if she had to.

Cecile picked up the trash bag and tossed it into the dumpster, walking back into the kitchen and pulling on her coat. She locked the back door and pulled the purse over her shoulder, walking out of the kitchen and shutting off the lights. On automatic pilot, she walked through the lab, turning off the lights as she worked her way up to the front. She had found Suzaku, which meant that she would find him again, he had told them as much.

She walked out of the front door, locking it behind her before turning to face the street. Cecile turned to stare out at the street, unable to keep the smile from her face. She took a deep breath before turning and running for her home. She couldn't help it, she was just happy from that one sighting of Suzaku that it had made some of the worst times here worth it.

At her front door she fumbled with the key, finally managing to turn it and stumble into the house. She stripped off her coat, aiming to hang it up on the peg and missing, but she didn't notice. She followed the sound of the television into the small sitting room, not surprised to see Lloyd sprawled out on the sofa.

He looked up at her and sat up, probably getting ready to demand some crazy thing of her. She didn't let him speak, sitting down in a kitchen chair and tugging off her shoes. "I found Suzaku."

"Hm?" Lloyd stared at her for a moment before standing up and stretching. "And you outran him?"

"N-no." Cecile tossed her shoes away, her euphoria fading away quickly as she remembered how she had found Suzaku. "He ran away from me."

"I always knew you were scary, Cecile. But I doubt that you're that scary."

"It's not that." Cecile looked up from the floor, watching as Lloyd walked over and pulled up a chair. The scientist turned the chair around backwards and sat on it, resting his hands on the top, obviously waiting for her to continue. She sighed and leaned against the kitchen table. "He's not our Suzaku."

Lloyd snorted. "Of course not. He hasn't gone back in time yet." Lloyd tipped his head back and hummed. "I guess this means I'll have to start working on that time machine."

"You don't understand, Lloyd. I didn't just meet him holding the hand of his mother, he's out on the streets." She saw Lloyd's eyes widen slightly. "He's all alone, his clothes are falling apart and he's so skinny. I want to help him, but he doesn't trust me. He's alone and scared and I can't help him."

She shook her head, looking up at Lloyd. "I don't know what to do."

"I would think it was obvious." Lloyd shrugged, leaning back. "Gain his trust and then offer him a place here."

"Would you be alright with that?"

"Of course." Lloyd gave her a lopsided smile. "I miss my favorite devicer."

Cecile made a halfhearted swipe at his head before standing up, picking up her shoes and heading for her room. She heard Lloyd shouting for her, but she ignored him. Her mind was still focused on the Suzaku that was out there. Lloyd's advice was the only sane thing she could think of, especially since she just wanted to rush out there and scoop him up. She wanted him safe again.

She shouldered open the door to her room, dropping her shoes on the floor and shuffling over to her dresser. There, stuck in the frame of the mirror that hung above it, was the letter that Suzaku had written to her ten years ago. The paper was a bit yellowed with age, and one corner was torn off from where it had been stuck in her mirror in Pendragon, but the most important parts were still visible.

Cecile carefully removed it from its place, resting it on the top of the dresser as she read it over again. After seeing Suzaku again, she just wanted to remind herself that there was a future him that was smiling and happy, not cold and starving.

She skimmed over the letter twice, ready to put it away when the last paragraph caught her attention, Cecile frowning and leaning forward to read it again.

 _'You may not understand this now, Cecile, but you might later. Thank you for saving me. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you this myself, but it matters a lot to me that you did what you did.'_

She pulled back and blinked quickly, her mouth falling open. So she had been the one that had saved him, the one who had taken him from the streets. Cecile picked the letter back up and set it back in its place. She stared at it a moment more before turning away and walking into the bathroom.

Tomorrow, she would bring extra food for Suzaku and begin to start getting him to trust her. Then, she would ask if he wanted a home and take him in. There was no way that she was just going to let him live the rest of his life on the streets.

* * *

 _February 9, 2030_

Lloyd glanced down to the twelve year old boy at his side, Suzaku licking the last of the pudding from his spoon as they both leaned against the counter that ran along the back of the garage. Lloyd reached down to ruffle Suzaku's hair before turning his attention to jumble of parts on the floor. He had enlisted Suzaku's help to take apart sections of tangled wire and spare parts that he would be using on the time machine. At least he would be using them as soon as he found a car to work on as a base. That was his next project.

He turned and set his empty cup of pudding on the counter, Suzaku doing the same. He gave the boy another look before gesturing towards the door. "Go on. Cecile will be looking for you."

"I told Miss. Cecile that I would be helping you." Suzaku turned to glance at the clock. "But I did promise my friends that I'd play outside today."

"Go on."

"Thanks Lloyd!"

He jumped as Suzaku hugged him quickly before running out of the garage. Lloyd shook his head, taking off his glasses to clean off the lenses. Despite what he had said to Cecile, he hadn't been sure about taking Suzaku in. He knew that they had to in an attempt to preserve the time stream, but he hadn't been sure about raising a kid. Of course, Cecile would worry about matters like that, and he would just continue as he had before. He had experiments to run and a time machine to build.

But Suzaku had proven to be useful. With him around, Cecile's cooking had started to be at least edible, and Suzaku could cook for himself. He also had useful little hands and an endless amount of energy, perfect for helping Lloyd for projects that required another set of hands. Cecile would always turn him down, saying that she worked for him during the week and that was enough for her. Suzaku would always agree, and he would always listen to Lloyd's explanation of what he was doing. Suzaku sometimes didn't understand all of it, but it just gave a Lloyd a chance to explain it in more detail. For once, it was nice to have an audience.

He only wished that that knowledge would go into Suzaku's grades so Cecile would stop talking to him about it. Suzaku was doing fine in school. He wasn't the top of his class, but he was working hard and had a solid grasp of the subjects. Besides, he was only twelve, there was plenty of time for serious thought later. Like when he went back to the past.

Lloyd froze at that thought, glancing towards the tarp where the pieces of the Lancelot's armor waited. Suzaku would be as ready as he could be when he went back, and neither he or Cecile could prevent Suzaku from going back. They could just send him off and wait for him to come back.

Still, it was a relief that Cecile knew that Suzaku would be coming back, or she would be more worried about him than usual. Lloyd was just glad that he would be getting his favorite devicer back. He was fond of the miniature version, but it wasn't the same. He kept having to be careful.

He shook his head, turning to face the corkboard that he had hanging above the counter. Dangling from one side was the key to the Lancelot, the one that he had scavenged before they had taken the Lancelot Albion to the museum. He frowned at the memory, reminding himself to call the museum to make sure that they were taking proper care of his creation.

Then there was the letter in the far upper corner of the corkboard, put there during one of his weaker moments. He was sure that Suzaku meant well by trying to alert him of something in the future and, from his one read of the letter that Suzaku had left Cecile, he had done a good job about not revealing too much. But it was still a bit too much of a temptation. Aside from knowing that he would complete a time machine and it would work, Lloyd didn't want to know about his future. What was the point when he could change it in a moment?

He glared at the letter for a moment more before rolling his eyes and taking it down. If Suzaku had wanted him to know something so badly, then the teenager would have told him. Cecile's letter had been more of a general thank you and the letter that Nunnally had told them about had been an apology to her. His couldn't be more than a thank you as well and, if that was the case, there was no point in not reading it now.

Lloyd stuck the pin back in the cork and unfolded the letter, leaning back against the counter as he began to read.

 _'Lloyd,_

 _I know you don't want to know about your future, but make an exception for this._

 _On the night I go back to the past you're killed. It's not in the line of science or in any way that you would like to go. It's because of some Japanese boys on the anniversary of Lelouch's death. They were drunk and mad that there were Britannians in Shinjuku and decided that we would be eliminated. I don't know what happened to Cecile, the last I heard from her was that she was running back to safety._

 _I don't care what you do with this information, even if you tear it up and never look at it again. But I want to warn you because I came back to the past to try and save you from being shot. I never meant for it to get so complicated, I was just trying to keep my life the way I knew it. But please, try to attempt to find a way to avoid being shot. If you do die, who will beat Rakshata to the new scientific discoveries?_

 _Suzaku'_

Lloyd stared at the letter, resisting the urge to rip it apart. Giving him that much information about his future could have been disastrous, not that he'd ever not build the time machine. The future and his pride as a scientist were on the line. But he already knew that he wouldn't be able to show it off, Suzaku would want to destroy it after he got back and Lloyd found that he reluctantly agreed with him. The past was something that shouldn't be meddled with not when so much could change so fast and there was a chance that you could wipe out your own future. But what was the point of building a time machine if he couldn't show it off. It was like building the most advanced Knightmare of its time and then getting it stuck in a museum.

He sighed and stared at the letter for another minute before ripping it up, letting the pieces drift onto the counter. Lloyd started at the scraps of paper before storming over to the trash can and brushing the pieces into it.


	30. Chapter 30

** Chapter Thirty **

_October 29, 2036_

Suzaku closed his eyes as the car rushed forward, the bright light from the Blaze Luminous and the sparks painful to look into. He whimpered, forcing himself to keep the steering wheel steady in its position. On either side of him were buildings, in the past and in the future. If he jerked the steering wheel to one side he would probably just kill them both. And he had not risked everything just to kill Lelouch because of his own stupidity.

He opened his eyes just enough to see whether the light was dimming, letting out a curse when he had to shut them immediately again. He didn't like not being able to see where he was going, especially when he was guessing at where he was going to appear in the future. Shinjuku had changed since 2018, it had been made respectable again instead of a ghetto with buildings collapsed into streets or streets not existing at all. For all he knew he could be barreling towards a building, but he had pretended that he was confident, for Lloyd and Cecile's sake.

The brightness disappeared as suddenly as it had started, Suzaku immediately opening his eyes. For a moment, he was blind. He shook his head and blinked, the white spots in his vision finally clearing in time for him to see the end of his straightaway.

Suzaku leaned back in the seat and slammed his foot on the brake, wincing at the squeal of tires in the otherwise quiet night. He glanced between the end of the road in front of him and the speedometer, breathing out a sigh of relief when the needle began to drop from eighty. He would be able to make a turn onto one of the other streets without flipping the car and he could continue to slow down from there.

The car was still going too fast to make an easy turn, but Suzaku had no other option. He tried to guide the car carefully into a turn, jerking the wheel when it felt like it was going to flip, all the while slowing the car to a more manageable speed. As soon as he felt like he was back in control, he would focus on getting back to the center of the ghetto, because he was sure that he had passed it. His internal compass was completely shot and probably would be for a while. It was going to be strange reintroducing himself to the city that he had grown up in.

He sighed in relief as the car finally rolled to a stop, Suzaku keeping his foot firmly on the brake as he slumped over the steering wheel. His heart was still pounding from the near miss and the fear that the time machine wouldn't have worked in the first place. Suzaku shook his head, clutching as the steering wheel as he laughed, lifting his head to stare at the empty road in front of him.

"We did it." He turned to look at Lelouch, reaching out to touch Lelouch's hand. "You're safe, Lelouch."

Suzaku pushed away from the steering wheel, slumping back into his seat and pushed his bangs away from his forehead. They had survived the two fatal mistakes that he had thought of, one being if the time machine didn't work and the other if Suzaku had sent them on a course straight into a building.

Now he just had to get to the center of Shinjuku and save Lloyd. From there, it would be easy to find Cecile and get her out of the way of the gang. Suzaku took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders before turning his attention to his surroundings.

The road he had chosen would have brought him out close to the center of Shinjuku, or close enough that he could get back. Suzaku swallowed nervously and took his foot from the brake. At a more sedate pace than they had entered, Suzaku drove the car through the streets, looking out for the gang that would come and attack Lloyd.

He tried to come up with a plan as he neared where he and Lloyd had first been attacked. There was a danger of a paradox here. Suzaku didn't know what it would take to trigger time collapsing or whatever happened when there was a paradox, an actual confrontation or just a look, but he wanted to avoid it entirely. His best plan was to distract the gang from their attack or try to take out the shooter before it happened. The problem was that he didn't know who had shot Lloyd or what time it had happened. He hadn't glanced at the clock the entire time during his race to get away from the gang, which meant that he had guessed at the time when he had come back. For all he knew, it was too late for Lloyd.

Suzaku cursed under his breath, stopping the car a street away from the monument. This was as close as he dared to get. Thankfully, he could see where he and Lloyd were by leaning towards the passenger side of the car.

He blinked rapidly at the sight of Lloyd and himself, finding it weird that he knew exactly what he was going to do and say. He supposed it was like watching a movie that he knew well, but that didn't stop it from being weird. He was sitting and basically spying on himself. Suzaku rubbed a hand across his face. He was sure that Lloyd would have a field day with this sort of thing.

Suzaku sat up as he saw something move in the shadows, behind where he and Lloyd were standing. He reached down to fumble with his seatbelt, realizing what was going on. He didn't have as much time as he thought he did. He had thought that he would have to sit in the car for a while, but he had come at the exact moment that the gang appeared.

The seatbelt stuck, Suzaku pressing down on the button to release it before losing his patience and yanking on the belt itself. It remained on, tightening around his shoulder. Suzaku twisted, managing to loosen the belt before attempt to get free. "Come on. Come on!"

He jerked at the seatbelt, twisting in his seat. He wouldn't be able to slip out of the seatbelt, there wasn't room to slide down the seat or stand up. Suzaku groaned, sitting up straight and pressing the button.

The tongue snapped out of the slot, Suzaku throwing the seatbelt to the side and yanking open the door just as the gunshot echoed in the street. He stumbled forward a few steps, leaning on the hood of the car as he watched as Lloyd looked down at his hand before crumpling to the ground. Suzaku shook his head, shouting at the same time as his past self did. "Lloyd!"

Suzaku scrambled to keep himself upright, his fingers slipping over the armor on the car. He had been too late. He had gone through all of that just to fail again. Suzaku bit back a sob, his shoulders shaking as he tried not to cry. He was still in danger, and he couldn't forget that. He reached up to wipe at his eyes, looking up as the gang started running towards the car, gritting his teeth. After everything he had done, didn't he deserve something to go right for him, just this one thing? He had saved Lelouch, why couldn't he save Lloyd?

The car bearing the past him drove away, Suzaku watching as the gang milled on the spot before scattering, probably heading to their own cars to chase him down or to attack Cecile. Suzaku pushed away from the hood of the car, feeling the microphone of his cell phone tap against his cheek. But even that was useless, Cecile would be on the phone with him until he went into the past. He only hoped that she would call him back.

Still, even with his failure, he couldn't just leave Lloyd's body there.

He dragged his sleeve across his eyes, stumbling back to the car and yanking open the door. He still didn't know where the trailer was, Lloyd had never told him. And he wouldn't be able to fit Lloyd's body and Cecile in the car, which meant that he would have to hide the body until he could return and they found the trailer.

Suzaku sunk into his seat, taking a moment to rest his head against the steering wheel before sitting up. After everything he had still messed up. He sighed and started the car again, driving up to where Lloyd was still sprawled over the ground.

He opened the door, peering cautiously out before sneaking out. He wasn't sure if anyone had been left behind to make sure that Lloyd was dead, but it would be completely useless if he died too. Then both Cecile and Lelouch would die because he had been able to do this one thing right.

Sure that the coast was clear, Suzaku slipped out of the car, kneeling on the pavement beside Lloyd. He sighed and glanced up at the bushes that were around the monument. They would work as a hiding spot for the time being, but Suzaku still felt bad for abandoning Lloyd like that. He shook his head and slipped his arms under Lloyd, getting ready to lift the scientist up when Lloyd groaned and moved.

Suzaku jumped, falling over backwards against the car. He stared at Lloyd as the scientist rose carefully to his feet, checking his glasses before beginning to brush himself off. "I'm assuming that they're gone."

"Y-yeah. But…" Suzaku pulled himself up, staring at Lloyd. "They shot you."

"They did." Lloyd carefully unbuttoned his lab coat, flipping it behind him. Suzaku stared at the bullet proof vest that the scientist wore, unable to stop the smile from crossing his face. Lloyd cleared his throat. "I came prepared. Although," Lloyd sighed and pulled a book out of his pocket, looking sadly at the bullet hole through it, "I wish they had shot me from the other side. I needed this."

"You read it." Suzaku laughed. "You read it even though you said that you didn't want to know."

Lloyd shrugged and walked over to the car. "So it held up. And I see you still have the emperor safe. Good." The scientist slipped into the driver's seat. "Get in, we're going back to the trailer."

"What about Cecile?" Suzaku ran around to the other side and opened the door. "And where do I sit?"

Lloyd gestured at Lelouch's lap. "He'll never know. And Cecile is smart. She'll find somewhere safe and contact us."

Suzaku gave a helpless shrug and slipped into the car, muttering an apology to Lelouch as he settled in place.

Lloyd gave him a smile before slamming his foot on the gas, Suzaku flinging one arm over Lelouch's shoulders and bracing the other against the dashboard. His head knocked against the window, Suzaku yelping at the burst of pain before he rocked his head forward, waiting until Lloyd had reduced his speed to reach up and rub the back of his head. "Careful."

"Don't have time for that. We barely have enough sakuradite for the Blaze Luminous incase those boys come back again."

"They're distracted." Suzaku stared out of the windshield, frowning. "I'm distracting them."

"Until you disappear. Then what happens?"

Suzaku hung his head. "I don't know."

Lloyd didn't say anything to that, the scientist focused on weaving his way through the streets. Suzaku let Lloyd have his silence, bracing himself and trying not to squish Lelouch. He hoped that Lelouch wouldn't wake up suddenly, he didn't look forward to explaining all of this.

He kept his gaze resolutely on the road ahead, breathing out a sigh of relief when he saw the trailer, glad that it wasn't far from the monument at all.

Lloyd pulled the car onto the ramp, Suzaku getting out, rushing to the front of the truck when Lloyd sent him an impatient look. He peered into the darkness, quickly finding the button that would raise the ramp, listening carefully for the soft thud that would signal that the ramp was all the way up.

He had to open the door into the back to make sure that Lloyd had pulled the car in to start to lower the back, glancing back every few seconds until the back was completely closed. Lloyd strode into the cabin, gesturing impatiently for him to go into the trailer. "Get his majesty and get up here."

Suzaku ducked through the door, quickly grabbing Lelouch and carrying him to the cabin, having to brace himself against the wall when Lloyd began pulling the truck out of the space he had parked it in. Suzaku stumbled to one of the bench seats, settling Lelouch in before flopping down, only to jump up a moment later when his phone rang.

He fumbled with the device for a moment, almost dropping it once before he managed to secure it in place again. "Hello?"

"Oh, thank God. I thought I had lost you." Suzaku smiled as he heard Cecile over the line, dropping into his seat. "The call suddenly dropped. What did you mean if you don't get back?"

Suzaku laughed, tipping his head back. "In case the time machine didn't work. And it's fine, Miss. Cecile. The call dropped because I went back to a time when the phone didn't exist."

"Suzaku that's…" She trailed off, Suzaku holding his breath until she spoke again. "Is this…have you come back from the past?"

"Yeah." Suzaku tipped his head to the side, looking at Lelouch. "One emperor and his knight, safe and sound." He straightened up again as Lloyd cleared his throat, blushing. "Oh, and I've got Lloyd too."

"Lloyd? But you said he was shot!"

"He's fine." Suzaku threw Lloyd a relieved smile. "He read the letter I left him."

"But he told me…Ugh!" Cecile groaned, Suzaku imagining that she was rolling her eyes. "Alright, so Lloyd is alright."

"Yes, and we're coming to get you, alright? Are you safe?"

"I'm hiding at the moment. But it seemed that the rest were called off by your little stunt."

"Where?"

"Near the train station, about a block away."

Suzaku leaned over to relay the directions to Lloyd, having to reach out to grab the seat and Lelouch when the scientist made a sharp turn. He shook his head. "We'll be there soon, Miss. Cecile. Just stay hidden until we get there."

She didn't respond, just hanging up. Suzaku nodded to himself, taking the phone from its place and shoving it back in his pocket. They would be where Cecile was in a few minutes and then they would get away from this place. Suzaku felt himself relaxing, closing his eyes as he breathed out a long sigh.

He was already exhausted from everything he had done in the past, but there was still too much for him to do here for him to fall asleep yet. They had to all get home and move the time machine, and Suzaku had to figure out an argument to use against Lloyd. The scientist couldn't keep a single part of his time machine, not if they wanted to keep the world the way it was. There would be too many people who would want to use the time machine to stop wars, something that couldn't happen.

Suzaku jerked upright as his head started drooping, waking up before he could actually fall completely asleep. He looked up, watching as Lloyd slowed the truck. Suzaku reached across to stop Lloyd from honking. He wasn't sure if they were safe yet, and he wasn't willing to risk the gang finding them again. The truck and trailer would stand up to the guns that the boys had, but Suzaku wasn't willing to risk them opening the doors and discovering the time machine or Lelouch.

He let go of Lloyd's arm, reaching for Lelouch's hand as Cecile came rushing out. Suzaku leaned forward, using his free hand to gesture Cecile to move faster. He couldn't see the gang, but it would be his luck to lose one of the most important people in his life at this moment.

Cecile crossed the street and jumped into the cabin, barely managing to slam the door shut before Lloyd had started the truck again. She stumbled over to where Suzaku was sitting, falling onto him as Lloyd made a sharp turn. To Suzaku's surprise, instead of yelling at Lloyd, she just laughed and resettled herself, sitting beside Suzaku and throwing her arms around him. "You made it back alive!"

"I did." Suzaku wiggled out of her hold and leaned back against the seat. "Alive and well, thanks to you two."

"That's good." She smiled at him. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"But I was there."

"Yes." Cecile rolled her eyes, patting his shoulder. "But it wasn't you. I had to wait eighteen years for the Suzaku I remembered to come back."

Suzaku smiled, pulling her into a hug. "It's good to be back."

"Yes, great all around." Lloyd took one hand from the steering wheel to lightly hit Cecile on the shoulder. "Better yet, I get my favorite devicer back."

"Lloyd!"

Suzaku rolled his eyes. "Of course, Lloyd, your favorite devicer is back."

He chuckled as Cecile turned to yell at Lloyd, knowing that the two of them would be at it all the way back home. He turned to be on his side, staring at Lelouch. Suzaku reached up to brush Lelouch's bangs back into place, settling his head on Lelouch's shoulder and closing his eyes. He would just rest here for a moment, just to reassure himself that Lelouch was still alive and that every piece of his gamble had worked.

He must have fallen asleep, because Cecile was shaking him awake as Lloyd slowed the truck to a stop. Blearily, Suzaku sat up, stumbling into the trailer to back the car out onto the ramp and then into the garage when the ramp was lowered. He yawned as he climbed out of the car, carrying his armload of stuff that he had brought with him, surprised when Cecile took it out of his arms.

She leaned close, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Go get his majesty and go to bed. We'll call you in sick tomorrow so you can rest."

"Thanks, Miss. Cecile." She waved him off, Suzaku stumbling back to the truck and clambering into the cabin to retrieve Lelouch. He barely noticed Lloyd impatiently waiting for him to get out of the truck, the scientist immediately driving the truck away, probably to return it to work.

Suzaku followed Cecile into the house, climbing the stairs to his room as he heard her bustling around downstairs. She would probably come up later, but Suzaku was sure that he would be asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He adjusted his hold on Lelouch before walking down the hallway and pushing open the door to his room.

A soft meow from his bed made him stop, Suzaku smiling as he saw Arthur curled up on his pillow. The black cat yawned before jumping off Suzaku's bed and onto Suzaku's desk. Suzaku kept a careful eye on the cat as he set Lelouch down on his bed, Arthur perking up and stepping to the edge of the desk. "Arthur, this is Lelouch. Be nice to him."

The cat gave him a long look before jumping off the desk and padding across the floor. Suzaku knew the cat would be back, Arthur usually slept with him until Cecile woke up, then the cat would go downstairs and begin his attempts to steal Suzaku's breakfast. Suzaku only hoped that Arthur would accept the fact that Lelouch was going to be in the bed too. He didn't want Arthur hurting Lelouch just because his spot had been taken.

Suzaku sat down on the edge of the bed, stripping off his shirt before collapsing back. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, gathering his strength to roll onto his side and pull Lelouch into his arms. He groped for the blankets that had been kicked to the foot of his bed in his rush this morning. Finding the edge, Suzaku pulled the blanket over them, nuzzling the back of Lelouch's neck as he got comfortable, a smile on his face.

It had all worked. He had saved Lelouch and the world hadn't ended, his future and the peaceful world was still there. He had saved Lloyd and Cecile. And he had gotten back alive. Suzaku shifted closer to Lelouch, taking a deep breath and smelling Lelouch and the scent of his home, and it was perfect. He let out his breath slowly, sinking into sleep curled around Lelouch.

* * *

 _October 30, 2036_

Lelouch sighed, realizing the familiar warmth at his back was gone. Suzaku must have rolled onto his back as usual. Lelouch squeezed his eyes shut, debating on whether he should flip over and curl up to Suzaku or just remain on his side where he was comfortable and warm. But, he would be warmer with Suzaku.

Giving in, Lelouch turned onto his other side, snuggling close to Suzaku and resting his head on the knight's shoulder. He let out a sigh, opening his eyes just enough to see his knight's face. That was much better. Lelouch closed his eyes again, feeling a slight headache. He frowned and pressed his face against Suzaku's chest. His head felt fuzzy and everything felt sore.

Lelouch frowned, trying to find sleep again. Part of him didn't want to fall asleep, because then he would have that horrible dream again. He gritted his teeth, wrapping one arm around Suzaku and holding tightly to him. He didn't want to be that out of control and afraid again, and he definitely didn't want to relive his own death again.

He resettled himself on Suzaku's shoulder, squeezing his eyes closed and trying to falling asleep again. He was mostly awake now, and it would take him a while to fall asleep, but it was likely that wasn't going to happen anyway. Not with the light from the window now falling across his face. Lelouch tensed, his fingers briefly digging into Suzaku's side before he sat up.

This wasn't his room. His rooms had the windows behind the bed, not a single window off to the side. And the walls of those rooms were painted beige, not white. Lelouch scrambled away from Suzaku, nearly falling off the bed. He caught himself at the last minute, staring at the wooden floor.

He quickly got out of the bed, slowly turning in a circle as he took the room in. It was small and the walls were mostly blank save for the plans for the Lancelot, which hung to the side of a desk. On the desk was a cup of pens and pencils, a pile of schoolbooks and a laptop. The chair was pulled part of the way out, Lelouch recognizing Suzaku's uniforms from his various posts sitting under a brown leather bag.

He stumbled back another few steps, going from chilly hardwood floor to a soft carpet. Lelouch glanced down at the carpet long enough to realize it was green before he looked up again, taking in the small bookshelf that seemed to serve as a beside table on the side of the bed Suzaku was lying on before he backed into the far wall of the room, breathing heavily.

Lelouch froze as the door opened slightly, looking down to meet the calm gaze of a black cat. The cat stared at him before walking into the room. Lelouch watched as the cat hopped nimbly up onto the bed and then onto Suzaku before it sat on Suzaku's chest and started purring.

He took a quick breath, turning his head at the sound of voices coming from outside of the bedroom. Lelouch was about to peek out into the hall when he heard a hiss followed by a short yelp from Suzaku. He turned around in time to see Suzaku sit up, the cat biting his finger. Lelouch took a step forward to help him, but stopped as soon as his feet touched the carpet again, shaking. "Suzaku?"

He hated how needy he sounded. He was the emperor of Britannia, he was supposed to be strong and ruthless. But, right now, he was feeling lost and frightened, every inch the eighteen year old boy that he was. He had woken up in a strange place and the only thing familiar was Suzaku. And it was disturbing how easily Suzaku was taking this in stride.

Suzaku struggled with the cat for a moment before finally pulling his finger away. "Arthur, you didn't have to wake me up. I'm sure Cecile has fed you." The cat just purred and settled on the pillow where Suzaku's head had been. Lelouch watched as Suzaku sighed and slipped out from under the covers, seeming to notice him for the first time. "Lelouch. You're up."

He crossed the room, Lelouch reaching out for Suzaku and pulling him into a tight hug. He was in a strange place, one that Suzaku apparently seemed to know. Suzaku was perfectly at ease in this room, he had mentioned someone by name, he knew the cat and acted like being bitten was normal. Lelouch clutched Suzaku's arms, trying to drag him closer. Something was wrong and he couldn't quite remember it, not with his head still fuzzy and everything aching.

Lelouch shivered and tucked his head under Suzaku's chin. "Where are we?"

"Home."

That simple statement was enough to get Lelouch to let go of Suzaku completely. He stumbled back to his place at the wall, staring at his knight in horror. "What do you mean by that?"

Suzaku looked confused. "I mean home. It's a lot to explain, but you're safe. The important thing is that you're alright."

"Well I'm not." Lelouch snapped, pressing himself further against the wall as Suzaku walked closer. "My head hurts and so does everything else. And I woke up in a strange place."

"Your head hurts?" Lelouch allowed Suzaku to touch him, first on the cheek and then on his forehead. Suzaku was frowning, gently brushing his fingers across Lelouch's forehead. "I guess that's a side effect of the drug."

He had been letting his eyes slide shut under the familiar touch until that last word. Lelouch jerked, slapping Suzaku's hand away. "You drugged me?"

"Yes." Suzaku nodded earnestly, Lelouch glaring at him until he winced. "But I can explain."

"You'd better." Lelouch took a step forward, surprised when Suzaku immediately retreated. He kept up his advance, hoping to back Suzaku up far enough that he could sprint down the stairs and run away from here.

Suzaku winced as he hit the foot of the bed, nearly falling over. The knight caught himself at the last minute, staring up at Lelouch from his awkward position. "Alright Lelouch, just calm down."

"I will, as soon as I know what's going on."

Suzaku sighed and sat down on the bed, Lelouch ignoring his pointed look at the chair by the desk to remain looming over him. Suzaku glanced up at him before running a hand through his hair. "There was an assassination attempt on your life yesterday and I saved you."

Lelouch flinched, closing his eyes for a moment. So that hadn't been a dream. He raised a hand to press against his chest, almost afraid that it would be covered in blood when he brought it away. Lelouch stared at his clean hand, shaking his head. "I was stabbed."

"That was me." Lelouch's hand clenched into a fist as Suzaku kept explaining. "I slipped into the guard and fooled the assassins to thinking that I was one of them. I was the one to climb up towards you. The blood was from the stash that we made to fake your death, I shoved it in your robes and stabbed that. You were drugged before it happened, so it looked like you were dying."

He wanted to smile at Suzaku, to thank him for saving his life. But his mouth wouldn't move. "You didn't tell me."

"I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"I just couldn't."

"I order you to tell me!"

Suzaku stood up, glaring at Lelouch. "Because I couldn't! I had to let them think you were dead because the plan was already in motion by the time I got there!"

"Fine. But was Nunnally told?"

"I couldn't tell her, Lelouch." He tensed as Suzaku shrugged, like Nunnally not knowing that her brother was alive was nothing. "I couldn't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"Because the world needed you to be dead!" Suzaku glared at him before rummaging in his pocket and pulling out his phone. He lit up the screen and shoved the phone into Lelouch's hands. "Look at the date."

"I don't see how this is relevant to-"

"Just do it."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, making sure that Suzaku knew just how displeased he was with him before looking at the date.

He felt like the floor had dropped out from under him as he read the year, shaking his head. "It says 2036."

"Yes."

"That can't be right." Lelouch looked up, pushing the phone into Suzaku's chest. "This is just an elaborate joke."

"It really isn't."

"Then tell me, Suzaku Kururugi, how I got to be here?"

He expected Suzaku to back down, unable to offer an explanation. He expected Suzaku to claim that he had been working for the Black Knights and Schneizel all along and that this was a way to get rid of him for good. What he didn't expect was for Suzaku to sigh and sit back down on the bed. "We travelled in time."

Lelouch shook his head slowly. "You don't expect me to believe that."

Suzaku shrugged, sticking the phone in his pocket again. "It's what happened. I'm from here, 2036. I traveled back to 2017 and, when I came back, I brought you with me."

"No. You drugged me and took be somewhere else and this is all an elaborate scheme made up by Schneizel."

"Lelouch, I'm telling you the-"

"Time travel is impossible!"

"I'm telling you it is." Suzaku glared at him. "How else would I know all of those battle strategies? How else would I know so much about you? How else would I know about an assassination attempt that even Jeremiah didn't know about?" Suzaku paused, taking a deep breath. "How did I know that Nunnally would become empress?"

Lelouch stared at him before taking a step to the side and pointing at the door. He couldn't stand here and listen to Suzaku lie to him. He had allowed Suzaku to get close to him, closer than he had let anyone else. And he had fallen for the trap. He didn't know what trap it was, but he was going to find out, and soon. Then, he was going to find Nunnally and tell her the truth. He would deal with what to do with Suzaku as soon as his headache was gone. Lelouch gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "Get out of my sight."

He expected a protest or the beginning of some argument, but Suzaku surprised him again. The knight just stood up and bowed at the waist before walking out of the room, the cat following him. Lelouch watched him go, barely waiting for both Suzaku and the cat to get out of the room before running at the door and throwing his whole weight against it, slamming it shut.

Lelouch slid down the door, keeping his back pressed firmly against it in case Suzaku tried to come back in. He doubted that his knight would disobey a direct order from him, but he didn't know anymore. He couldn't trust Suzaku, not after he had been fed that obvious lie.

He could believe that Suzaku heard about an assassination attempt and had saved his life. But he couldn't understand why he had needed to be drugged and then taken away. Suzaku could have just shown up and killed the assassins. They already had a plan to get Lelouch away from the throne, but that was when Lelouch was sure that he had a successor and that his siblings had been taken care of.

And then there was Nunnally. Lelouch clenched his hands into fists. He had meant to tell Nunnally the exact date of his fake assassination. He had debated over it but, in the end, he was unable to force Nunnally to be miserable until he could contact her and say that he was alright. Now, because of Suzaku, Nunnally thought he was dead and would be inconsolable. It wasn't fair to her, not after everything that she had lost.

Lelouch pushed himself away from the door, storming over to the bed and flopping down on it. He stared up at the ceiling. The fact that Suzaku had lied to him outright was almost as aggravating as the fact that Suzaku had let Nunnally think that he was dead. Did Suzaku think he was an idiot and would believe that they had traveled in time? Time travel was impossible, there was no machine built that could manage it, that was just science fiction. There were also the paradoxes to get around, the idea of existing two places in one and… Lelouch rubbed his head, his headache flaring up as he tried to begin to think seriously about the mechanics of time travel.

He gave up quickly, lifting one hand to rub at his temple as he tried to make the ache go away. He hoped that it would fade quickly before Suzaku came to drug him again or before something happened to him. There was still a chance of escape, as long as he was in complete control of himself.

Until then, his only hope was to try and determine where he was and take stock of the political climate. He didn't know how long he had been kept drugged, so it could have been just for day or for a week. Clearly, he would have to work on his escape plan. Lelouch sighed, sitting up slowly and staring at the desk. But at least he had the tools to work with.

He stood up and made his way over to the desk, flipping the laptop open. He groaned as it started to load slowly, Lelouch rolling his eyes and turning his attention to the schoolbooks. They wouldn't be useful in the least to help him escape, but Suzaku's claim that he had traveled in time was still nagging at him. While it did explain the knight's ability to guess at events, it was still too ridiculous to consider.

But the computer was annoyingly slow in booting up, and there were no other books in the room save for a few fiction novels and some classics that Lelouch would have expected to find in a student's room. Lelouch raised his eyebrow, staring at a row of books entirely focused on the Arthurian myth before picking up what looked like a history book.

On a whim, he flipped to the index and looked up The Battle of Narita, flipping to the page indicated. As he suspected, there were several diagrams of the battle. Lelouch quickly marked the page and shut the book. He wanted to test this to make sure. As much as he knew that time travel was impossible, there was still one annoying part of him that was insisting that Suzaku might be telling the truth, and he wanted to prove himself wrong. Suzaku had once described the battle of Narita for him, laid it out on a chessboard and gave him an explanation of what would happen. Suzaku couldn't have given him a perfect accurate description.

Lelouch raided the desk for supplies, laying out an array of pens, pencils and erasers on the bed before arranging them into the order that Suzaku had shown him that one day, imagining the pattern of a chessboard on the bed.

First came the pawn that represented the summit of Narita. Lelouch used a scrap of paper, surrounding it with four pencils. Lelouch tilted his head, resting his finger against the scrap of paper. The JLF base had been inside the mountain itself, but the entrance had been a small shack near the top, a flimsy wooden thing that they had dug out of the landslide that Cornelia had set into motion. Lelouch grabbed pens, carefully placing them in the order that he had arranged his troops that day, glancing back at his makeshift mountain. His troops had faced fire from the turrets scattered on the mountain.

He picked up an eraser, playing with it for a moment before setting it down on the mountain to show where Cornelia had been. She had remained there until he had entered the field. Lelouch frowned, moving the eraser to the side of the mountain where he had been cornered and his Knightmare destroyed.

Lelouch stared at the crude diagram that he had made before rolling his eyes. This was exactly how Suzaku had showed it to him, and it didn't look like much anymore. Before the battle, he had been deciding between different formations, but Suzaku had given him this one, so he had gone with it. Lelouch sighed and reached for the book, opening to the marked page and preparing to be proven right.

To his surprise, the diagram of the opening moves of Narita was displayed exactly like the mock up that he had made on the bed. Lelouch leaned closer to the book, searching for a discrepancy in what he remembered Suzaku telling him. But there was nothing, it was exactly what he remembered.

He flipped to the front page of the book. It had to be a fake, there was no other explanation. But the book didn't look like it was faked. It just looked like a lightly used textbook. He flipped through the pages, absently noticing that it was focused mostly on his father's and his own reign. Unable to find anything that proved that the book was a fake, he slammed it shut and lunged for the desk.

The computer had finished booting up and he immediately went to the internet, searching for something that would prove that he was right and Suzaku was wrong. The first searches he did produced nothing more than snippets from documentaries discussing him and footage from his alleged assassination and dismemberment. Lelouch was only able to watch half of the video, stopping before they started throwing parts of the body into one of the fires.

For the next three hours, Lelouch frantically searched for something that would make sense. But he was thwarted at every turn. Documents that had been secret during his reign were out in the open, things that had been prepared for his successor had been passed by Nunnally, the very government of Britannia had changed into a representative one and the Areas were free.

That was the one thing that truly startled him. There was no way that the Areas could have been freed in a week, not with Nunnally in the care of Schneizel and Cornelia. When he had first seen that she had taken over at the next ruler of Britannia he had been sure that she was just a puppet. But, the things that she was doing was something that neither Cornelia nor Schneizel would ever do. It only took a little bit more digging to figure out why.

Schneizel was the Britannian representative for the UFN and, by all the reports, one of the best on the council. There were no less than ten treaties that included him as being part of the process. And Cornelia had the same type of glowing reports about her performance as the commander of the Britannian military, not that the military had been used in years.

Lelouch checked and double checked all the information that he had gotten, his throat suddenly dry as he was forced to come to a conclusion. It was possible that the book was faked, but it was impossible to fake so many websites and put the same information into them. Lelouch had searched through the legitimate sites and had moved on to a few of the ones that just put out rumors before giving up.

He slumped back in the chair, staring at the computer and shaking his head. It wasn't possible, but he had still managed to get into the future, eighteen years into the future. Even more astounding was the fact that all of his plans, the ones that he had made hoping that the next emperor would be smart enough to let the peace last for a few years, were holding the war together. There had been a few wars that had almost started, but Nunnally and Schneizel had managed to stop them. Mostly, the governments of the world were focused on the problems of their own population.

It was his plan, but Nunnally was brilliant. Lelouch couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he found videos of all of Nunnally's most recent speeches. It was strange to see his sister so confident and so sure, but it was nice. He still wanted nothing more than to rush to the Imperial Palace in Pendragon and drag her out of there for her own safety.

But he was dead, at least officially. He had found images of his monument, right beside where his mother had been buried. Lelouch leaned a little closer to the screen, smiling at small pillar with the little paper crane on it. Nunnally had loved origami, and had attempted it a couple of times while they had been living in Japan, but she hadn't perfected the art, at least not to Lelouch's knowledge. Here, she had managed to be perfectly tactful. Everyone had expected her to put up a monument to her brother, simply because they had been related. By keeping it small and plain, people could infer that, while she loved him for being her brother, she hadn't agreed with what he had done. And everyone was satisfied.

Lelouch skipped over the picture of Suzaku's grave, not really wanting to see it. His own death he could handle, but he didn't want to go running to Suzaku, not when he wasn't quite ready to forgive his knight.

Suzaku had managed to save his life and take him somewhere safe, all while making sure that Lelouch's plans would succeed. But Suzaku had also trapped him here. From what Lelouch had read, the people feared and hated him, as per what he had hoped for. Even if he went back in time to return to the throne, one of him would have to be killed, which would cause a paradox. And there couldn't be two of him existing.

He groaned, leaning back and rubbing his forehead. His headache was gone, the drug finally wearing completely off, but he still didn't want to think about those types of things. He preferred to remain firmly rooted in reality and not the what ifs of time travel.

Whatever way he looked at it, no matter what circumstances he could come up with, he was stuck in this time and that was Suzaku's fault. Lelouch would thank Suzaku for his quick thinking later, right now he wanted to continue to be mad. He was stuck in a strange time where the people hated him and where he could never see Nunnally again, he no longer had the power to be able to get to her.

Lelouch dropped his hand back to his side, sitting up slowly. His sister was on her own, and had been for eighteen years. She was doing fine, despite the protective urges he still had. But that left him useless for the first time in the life. He couldn't protect and care for Nunnally anymore, so he didn't even know where to begin on his life here.

He pushed away from the desk, cleaning up his diagram of Narita on the bed before sitting down with the textbook in his hands. For now, he would satisfy himself by getting as much information as possible so, that when he had to make a choice, he would be well educated.

Hours passed by without him noticing, the time only marked by the soft rustle as he turned the pages. He looked up once when he thought he heard the door open. For a moment, it looked like Suzaku was at the door, but then the shape was gone, Lelouch staring at the partially open door before going back to his reading. The only other thing that disturbed him was Arthur, the cat strolling into the room and jumping onto the bed. Lelouch and the cat stared at each other for a while before Arthur ducked under Lelouch's hand, wriggling until it was lined up the way that Arthur wanted it. Lelouch debated ignored the cat, but found that his fingers were already moving. Giving up, he returned to the book.

Lelouch wasn't disturbed until his stomach growled. He shifted at that, aware of the way his stomach ached. He really didn't want to go out and look for food, but he couldn't stay in here and starve, he was sure that Suzaku wouldn't let him.

He sighed and put the book down, getting off of the bed. Lelouch shuffled to the door and hesitated there, looking out into the hall. He was being stupid, letting something as small as anger at Suzaku keep him in the room. He could be angry at Suzaku outside of the room just as well as he could while inside of the room.

Lelouch swung the door open, surprised when Arthur trotted past him and headed down to the hall to his left. Lelouch hesitated for a moment before following after, trying to move as silently as he could. He went down the stairs, keeping a hold of the railing as he stopped to peer over the banister, relieved when he didn't immediately see Suzaku. Although, he could still here him, which meant that the knight was close.

Lelouch sighed and sat down on the stairs, watching as Arthur wandered into the kitchen area before disappearing from his line of sight. He heard Suzaku speak up a moment later.

"Arthur, I was wondering where you were. You weren't annoying Lelouch, were you?"

"He probably was." Lelouch shrunk back against the wall as Cecile walked into the kitchen. He flinched when she looked directly at him, her eyes widening. She was going to tell Suzaku that he was here, and then he would have to confront his knight. Lelouch flinched and looked away, it was bad enough that Suzaku had abducted him to the future, but he would also have to admit that Suzaku had been right.

To his surprise, Cecile just turned her attention back to the kitchen counter. "You really haven't been good company today."

"Really? I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." Cecile paused to look over her shoulder. "You and his majesty have a fight?"

"Yes." Lelouch flinched, hating the way that Suzaku sighed out the word. "I told him everything and he took it badly. I just wish that I hadn't been such a coward."

"I wouldn't call you a coward."

"I am. I couldn't even begin to explain to Lelouch who I was, so I let him tell me that it didn't matter. And I believed him. I should have known better. Why did I think that being from the future would be so easy to explain?"

Lelouch swallowed and gently made his way down the rest of the stairs, clinging to the banister the entire way down. He stopped with his hand clutching the last rail, unable to go further.

He heard Suzaku sigh again. "But I really didn't mean it to get like this. I just wasn't thinking. I just wanted to save him so badly that I didn't even think about what he wanted."

"I don't think that his majesty would have wanted to die."

"No," Lelouch finally stepped into the conversation, walking into the kitchen. He turned his head, seeing Suzaku sprawled out on the couch with Arthur on his chest. Lelouch turned his head away quickly, addressing the nearest chair instead of Suzaku. "I didn't want to die. But I would have liked to have known what you planned to do."

"Lelouch…"

He pulled out a chair and sat down, staring at the floor. "You could have just saved me and then let me continue on with my plans. I could have gone to living in hiding and then…"

He trailed off. He didn't know what would come after that. Nunnally was doing a good job ruling Britannia, far better than any of the other successors that he had looked over could have done. She hadn't been his first choice, mostly because he had never looked at her that way. But it wouldn't be fair to her to demand that she just give everything up because he didn't like what she was doing, no matter how much he wanted to.

Lelouch shook his head. "You didn't have to kidnap and trap me here."

"I wasn't thinking." Lelouch snuck a look up at Suzaku. His knight was completely focused on Arthur, rubbing the cat behind the ears. "I panicked. I should have just told Nunnally and let you move on with your plan."

"You should have."

"But now you know why I had to leave." Lelouch tensed, looking up at Suzaku and meeting his gaze. Suzaku gestured towards the room. "I belong here, Lelouch, I have people here that I want to be able to see again. I couldn't stay. But I didn't want to leave you, I…I wanted to protect you."

"So you drugged me and dragged me here?"

"This is so messed up." Suzaku groaned and sat up, Arthur hoping to the floor.

"It is. But there's nothing we can do about it, so I guess I'm going to have to adjust." Suzaku looked up at him hopefully, Lelouch shaking his head. "This doesn't mean that I'm alright with any of this. It just means that I understand. I'm still angry with you."

"I know."

"Good." Lelouch tipped his head back, clearing his throat. He was about to continue on when he saw how depressed Suzaku looked. He sighed and got up, walking over to Suzaku and flopping down on the couch beside him. After a moment of hesitation, Lelouch hugged him, pulling Suzaku close. "This isn't complete forgiveness. Let me stay mad at you a while longer."

"Okay."

Lelouch sighed, nearly scooting into Suzaku's lap in an attempt to get his knight to hug him back. Reluctantly, Suzaku did, Lelouch resisting the urge to shake his head. "Never forget that I am glad that you saved me."

"I won't."

Suzaku gripped his shirt tightly when Lelouch pulled away. Lelouch hesitated before carefully pulling Suzaku's hands from him. The one hug would have to be enough for a while, at least until Lelouch had come to terms with his new world and what he would have to do to live here. "I'll come back to you when I'm ready."

He stood up and walked back into the kitchen, leaving Suzaku to slump forward. Lelouch tried his best not to look back, but ended up stealing a peek and hating himself for it. He cleared his throat and looked away, almost running into Cecile.

For a moment, he was afraid of her, the glare that she was giving him was enough to make him turn and run. But she had been his subordinate once and it was nearly habit to glare back. Cecile backed down, turning back to the bowl she had on the counter. "Be nice to him."

"But I-"

"I know why you're doing this, but don't make him suffer." She glanced back at Suzaku before lowering her voice. "He's suffered enough."

Lelouch nodded. He had never planned on keeping Suzaku away from him for more than a week, his gratitude and resignation with his situation would kick in long before then. "I won't."

"Good. Because he's had a hard enough life" Cecile shook her head. "And remember, he was just trying to make sure that everything happened the same way again."

"Again?" So Suzaku had gone back knowing how this had ending. Lelouch tried to lean casually on the counter, trying to disguise how much he was shaking. Suzaku had gone back and done everything knowing that Lelouch would have to die. "For how long."

"The entire time. And he was almost willing to not interfere until the end. So, take it easy on him, your majesty. Or I will have to hurt you."

He jerked back at her statement, staring at Cecile. He wasn't the emperor in this world, no matter what Cecile or Suzaku called him. From this point on, he was as special as any other teenager. It was hard to accept since he had lived his entire life being someone important and now he couldn't be. Perhaps it was fitting atonement for everything that he had done to get the world to this state, or maybe it was just the world laughing at him.

Lelouch gave a slow nod, watching as Cecile smiled and turned back to her work. "Dinner will be in about ten minutes."

It wouldn't be worth the trip back upstairs, so Lelouch went and sat down a chair at the table, aware of Suzaku's stare. Despite having essentially forgiven Suzaku, he still wanted to be mad because the choice of what to do had been taken away from him. And if that led to several days of being awkward in each other's presence, then that's what it would take. In that space of time, he could concentrate on figuring out what he was going to do now, since Suzaku had essentially given him a second chance at life.

Lelouch leaned his elbow on the table, resting his cheek on his hand as he stared at the wall. From this point he could do anything, but he had never really thought about what he wanted to do. His future had always been planned by his father and then, planned so that Nunnally would come first, always. Now he could make a choice without worrying that it would hurt Nunnally and without balancing the countries of the world.

He found himself smiling, Lelouch shifting as Cecile started to bring the food to the table. Surprisingly, he was looking forward to this. Within a week he would have his life back together. Lelouch glanced to the side, watching as Suzaku shuffled to the table, carefully picking a seat far away from Lelouch. He winced and looked back down at the table. And it would have to be only a week, or he would run the risk of losing Suzaku.

That was not an option.

* * *

 _November 8, 2036_

Suzaku found himself humming as he walked towards the student council room, a broad smile on his face. It was the same smile he had been wearing since he had woken up, the first smile since he had come back to the future.

Lelouch was speaking to him again.

He had spent the first two days that he had returned home in misery. He had fully expected Lelouch to call him out on what he had done, but never to the point of not speaking with him. And, if Lelouch wasn't speaking to him, it meant that he had time to think over what he had done. Suzaku had spent the whole first day back doing that, sprawled on the couch and staring at the ceiling.

After hours of thinking he had just come to the conclusion that he had made a mistake, a horrible mistake that he couldn't even begin to fix. And it seemed like Lelouch had agreed with him. Except for a hug, Lelouch hadn't touched him at all. Instead, Lelouch would hole himself up somewhere, sometimes in Suzaku's room, but most often in the sitting room, absorbing everything he could about current events.

When Lelouch wasn't there he was talking to Cecile and Lloyd, Suzaku only catching bits of the conversations because Lelouch would stop every time he walked past. Cecile had taken pity on him though and had given him little bits of information. Lelouch was figuring out what he wanted to do with his life, although it involved him, grudgingly, going to college. Of course, Lelouch had a whole plan that Cecile wouldn't share with him, and Suzaku had let it go.

School had never been more of a relief, especially since he had to leave the house for long hours. What was even better was that Lloyd and Cecile were used to him coming home late at night because of his work on the student council. Although, now he was begging Milly to keep him later, just to avoid Lelouch. He was sure that she suspected that all was not right at home, but she wasn't prying; Shirley and Rivalz kept her from doing that. Still, Suzaku was grateful that she would listen to him and allow him to stay late, it meant less time to see Lelouch and less time feeling guilty.

But he hadn't been able to avoid it completely. The weekend had come, bringing with it the worst two days of his life. Suzaku had eventually excused himself to go wander the city late on Saturday just to avoid Lelouch's stares. He had repeated the maneuver early Sunday, even going as far as to visit his own grave just to be able to take the long way home. That had been one of the strangest things he had done.

When Monday had passed again, Suzaku had started to contemplate dropping hints to Rivalz, hoping that he could stay over at his friend's house for the weekend. He had resolved to start begging on Thursday if Rivalz hadn't gotten the hint. His second plan was to start begging some of the other boys he knew, even if it meant explaining that he was having family trouble, although he was not ready to explain that it was really boyfriend trouble.

Thankfully, Lelouch had broken his silence, much to Suzaku's relief.

Suzaku had woken to Lelouch stroking his hair that morning, surprised that Lelouch had even woken up early enough to see him off, let alone touch him. He had belatedly realized that it was far too early for him to even think about getting up for school, but that thought had disappeared as Lelouch had burrowed under the blanket with him and snuggled close.

"I'm sorry," he had whispered, "that wasn't fair."

Suzaku had meant to argue, but it was hard with Lelouch curled up against him and the general feeling of something right sliding back into place. So he had closed his eyes and gone back to sleep. When Cecile had woken him up later, it was the first time in a week that he could say that he wasn't looking forward to school. Nor was he looking forward to the student council meeting or how to explain to Milly why he wanted to get home early, especially since it would lead to him explaining that he had a boyfriend.

He wasn't sure how the school in general would act to that announcement actually. He was well known if not popular, and he was sure that there would be plenty of girls with broken hearts. And he wasn't sure about how his male friends would treat him. Then again, he was sure that he would have Milly on his side at least.

Suzaku slowed down in the front of the student council room, staring at the doors before swallowing and walking in, surprised to see everyone there for once, even Nina. He winced at the sight of the quiet girl, quickly taking his seat.

He still felt guilty for failing her. He could have saved her and her mother before he had gone into the Damocles, he was sure that Lelouch would have lasted. But he hadn't been sure then. Suzaku had checked up on what happened to her mother, and the story was still the same. Clara Einstein had committed suicide after the knowledge that most, if not all, of the casualties in the Battle of Mt. Fuji had been her fault. Nina had been shuffled through her relatives, wandered the streets at a young age, suffered some trauma that she would never talk about and had been raised by a foster family.

Suzaku swallowed and looked up at the council. They were all wearing equal expressions of concern on their faces, even Nina, although hers was slightly more reserved. Suzaku shifted nervously in his head before leaning forward, attempting to break the silence with a laugh. "So, what are the plans for today?"

"Intervention."

"What?" He jerked back from the table, his chair nearly toppling over as he stared at Milly.

She was serious. Milly was hardly ever serious unless it was something very important. And, apparently, his problem had been deemed very important.

Milly sighed and hopped up onto the table, swinging her legs as she looked at him. "Suzaku, something has been going on for the past week."

"Uh…"

"Yeah." He turned to face Rivalz. "I tried calling you last weekend and you never picked up. Miss. Croomy said that you were out in the city and I couldn't reach your cell phone."

"Oh." He had turned his cell phone off early on in the day, not wanting to be bothered. Suzaku tried for an apologetic smile, rubbing the back of his head. "Listen, sorry about that. I was having a bad few days."

"Why?" Milly was leaning towards him. "I know Earl Asplund isn't the easiest person to get along with but-"

"Lloyd? You thought it was Lloyd." Suzaku stared at her, shaking his head. "He wouldn't do anything to me. No, I was just having a couple of bad days in a row."

"Try more like a week."

Suzaku ignored the comment from Rivalz. "I'm fine now, Milly. Promise."

"If you're sure…" Milly hesitated before jumping down from the table. "Alright then, we'll put you to work."

Suzaku groaned with the rest of them, but he took the papers that Milly had passed out eagerly. They were done with the budgets for the clubs, save for a few that were still coming in late. Now they just had to deal with the weekly load of requests to reserve spaces, approving the announcements that the clubs wanted to put up around school and looking over the club constitutions, new and old. Suzaku sighed when he realized that he had gotten the constitutions.

He went to reach for a pen when he felt someone grab his hand. He looked up to find Shirley smiling at him. The red head gave his hand a careful pat. "You know that we're here for you if you ever want to talk."

Suzaku nodded, having to force the smile on his face. "Thank you, Shirley."

She nodded and went back to her work, Suzaku watching her out of the corner of his eye. Shirley was another one that he felt guilty about. Narita seemed like a million years ago, but he could still remember it. He could still remember wanting to save her father, but not knowing where he was. Back then, he didn't think that Lelouch would have given a request to keep a man from the front any mind. Still, it would have given Shirley the chance to grown up knowing her father instead of seeing pictures around the house. And it didn't help that Joseph Fenette had died in a landslide, one that Suzaku had known was coming.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The best thing to do was to forget all of it and just deal with the fact that they had died. That still didn't stop the part of him that reminded himself that he could have saved them.

To avoid overanalyzing his actions, Suzaku threw himself into his work, slogging through the constitutions of the clubs. Most of them were just resubmissions because of changes, and most of those changes were small enough that he could sign off on them quickly and sent them skittering along the table to Milly, who would make the final decision on the matter. The ones that changed half of their constitution annoyed him. Then he was stuck reading the whole thing and nearly nodding off at points.

A smile crossed his face as he worked through them. Lelouch would have enjoyed this, it was close enough to being emperor. Then Suzaku could have worked on something fun and interesting, like Rivalz and Nina who were working on the reservations or Shirley, who was working on the advertisements. In fact, Suzaku would have handed over his vice president position in a heartbeat to Lelouch, because he was sure that Lelouch to could it better. Unfortunately, Lelouch was at home, working quickly through the high school classes that he needed to get into college.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Suzaku froze, carefully letting his pencil drop to the table before leaning back and taking his phone out, checking the time.

As he expected it was later than he thought, although he was pleased with his progress on the constitutions. Out of the stack that he had, he was on the last one. He could probably beg out of dealing with the rest tonight, this was the one night that he didn't want to stay at school until Milly forced him to leave.

Then he turned his attention to the text message, expecting it to be from Cecile wondering when he would be getting home, or from Lloyd asking him to be ready for another experiment. Instead it was from Lelouch. Suzaku blinked, he hadn't been aware that Lelouch had gotten a cell phone, let alone programmed the number into his phone. He shook his head and checking again before opening the text.

 _'Are you still at school?'_

Suzaku stared a bit longer before responding back. _'Yes. When did you get a cell phone?'_

 _'Recently.'_

 _'When did you program the number into my phone?'_

 _'Very recently. It was an apology.'_

 _'What kind of apology?'_

 _'One to stay that we are staying in contact no matter what.'_

Suzaku smiled, about to respond when he heard something slap the table. He sat upright, finding that Milly was staring at him. "Suzaku?"

"Sorry." He set his cell phone on the table and returned to his work, expecting Lelouch to drop the conversation.

Not a minute later his cell phone buzzed to life, inching across the table until Suzaku lunged forward to catch it. He grunted as the edge of the table dug into his stomach. Suzaku pressed himself back into his seat as Milly lunged for him, giving her a smile before turning his attention to the message.

 _'I'm coming to pick you up.'_

 _'From school?'_

The reply came back before Suzaku had a chance to set the phone on the table.

 _'Yes. Where else? The mall?'_

Suzaku chuckled, ignoring the stares that he was getting. _'Are you ever just going to just ask me something?'_

 _'Probably not. You're far too stubborn.'_

 _'That should be we're far too stubborn.'_

"Suzaku…" At Milly's sing-song tone of voice, Suzaku set the phone down on the table again, reminding himself to tell Lelouch about Milly. She didn't mind a few texts during the meetings, but she was surprising strict about text conversations. It seemed like she wanted them to be focused on the council work alone. He gave her a sheepish smile, tensing as the phone vibrated again.

He was too slow this time, Milly sliding across the table and snatching up the phone. She shot him a grin before opening the text. Suzaku sunk low in his chair as she read it, watching as her eyebrows rose. "Oh, and what's this? 'Where are you?'" She looked back him, Suzaku blushing as she passed the phone back to him. "You'd better answer."

Still blushing, Suzaku typed his reply. _'Clubhouse, towards back of campus. Student Council Room.'_

He snapped the phone shut as soon as it had sent, stuffing the device into his pocket and sinking in his seat again.

Milly was leaning forward to look at him, still splayed out over the table. When she remained silent, Suzaku allowed himself to sit up straight, cautiously reaching for his pencil before going back to work. Milly wouldn't let him go until he was done with his work, and he was sure that he could finish this one constitution before Lelouch came. Suzaku closed his eyes for a moment, trying to banish his blush before opening them, concentrating on reading the paper in front of him.

"So, who's Lelouch?"

Suzaku's head snapped up at the question, his mouth dropping open as he started at Milly.

He hadn't been part of the discussions about Lelouch's future here, at least not the ones that were strictly pertaining to Lelouch. But Cecile had given him enough hints to know that Lelouch was taking steps to not be recognized, although he wasn't changing his name. Suzaku thought it would be safe enough, there were always Britannians who named their children after dead emperors because the names sounded sophisticated, whether the emperors were well liked or not. And Lelouch could always make the excuse that he had grown too used to the name to change it.

The president laughed and sat up, obviously waiting for him to answer. "Uh…he's my…" Suzaku looked around at the rest of the council, surprised that they had all stopped working and were staring at him. "He's my…"

"He's your what, Suzaku?"

He swallowed and closed his eyes, sinking into his seat as he mumbled. "My boyfriend."

The room was unnaturally quiet after his announcement, Suzaku one eye and expecting things to be thrown at him. Instead, they were all just looking at him. Rivalz looked like he was in shock, Nina looked horrified, Shirley was leaning forward slightly and giving him a sweet smile and Milly was grinning at him. Suzaku stared at Milly, feeling more frightened of her than he had been while piloting the Lancelot. His opponents on the battlefield would have killed him while Milly would leave him alive, humiliated and alive.

He slipped further down in his seat, stopped by Shirley's hand on his shoulder. "Madam President, you're scaring him."

Milly stopped grinning, quickly sitting up. "And that's why you were moping around all last week?"

Suzaku was glad to be given an excuse. He nodded, slowly sitting up again. "Y-yeah. I finally got the courage to ask him out and then he told me he needed to think about it."

"But he said yes." Suzaku nodded, surprised when Milly scooted across the table to pull him into a hug. "Aw, you're growing up!"

"Madam President!"

"My vice president has gotten himself a boyfriend." Milly laughed and kissed his forehead. "Now, you tell him to play nice or we'll all be after him."

"W-will do." Suzaku gave her a nervous smile before pulling away. His phone vibrated in his phone, Suzaku pulling it out just to read the text, 'Here' before scrambling to put his stuff away. "Madam President-"

"Yes, go. Go. And enjoy yourself, that's an order."

Suzaku nodded, just pulling his jacket over his shoulder when the door to the student council room opened. He looked up, finding himself staring at Lelouch.

For a moment, he was tempted to stumble backwards, he wasn't used to Lelouch having blue eyes. Suzaku was sure that he had missed the days that Lelouch had tried out the contacts, because it made sense that Lelouch would want to hide the eyes that were the trademark of the royal family. Despite his surprise, Suzaku managed a smile, pulling on his jacket before scooping up his back. "I'll see you guys later."

He waved at them, noticing that Rivalz was still in shock. Suzaku was tempted to remain behind and explain everything when Lelouch grabbed his free hand and dragged him into the hall, Milly and Shirley giggling as the door shut.

Once outside, Lelouch released his hand for a moment, catching it again and twining their fingers together before resting his head on Suzaku's shoulder. "So, surprised?"

"Yeah, you look good with blue eyes."

"What? No, not about that."

"About picking me up?" Suzaku felt Lelouch nod. "Yeah. Although, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Lelouch lifted his head, meeting Suzaku's gaze. "Cecile said you had been staying late, and I…" Lelouch blushed and looked away. "I didn't want you to stay because I missed you."

"Missed me?"

"Yes, you idiot." Lelouch looked away, focusing on anything but Suzaku. "I…I didn't mean to spend so much time away. I honestly wasn't angry after three days, but you were never there. So I thought that I had to win you back."

"Hm." Suzaku tipped his head back, unable to stop the smile that crossed his face. He was still annoyed that Lelouch had let it go on so long, but he could see where they had both messed up, and he was fine with it. Lelouch was still with him. He let go of Lelouch's hand, wrapping his arm around Lelouch's waist while trying to hide the blush that crossed his face. It was one thing to do this at home, but another to be out in public doing it. "I might make you try to win me back."

"What?"

"Just to make up for that week from hell." Suzaku winked at him. "It won't be too hard. You managed alright the first time."

"That's because you knew I would behead you if you said no."

"Really." Suzaku looked at Lelouch with wide eyes before laughing. "But I'm too pretty."

Lelouch was flustered for a moment, before he gave a shrug, walking away from Suzaku. "We'll see about that, my knight."

Suzaku smiled, glad that they were back to this, that they were able to tease each other again. It would be a while before they were back to the way before, but at least they had a chance to do this. Suzaku chuckled and bowed at the waist, his hand over his heart. "Yes, your majesty."

Lelouch had stopped to watch him, Suzaku looking up as Lelouch held out a hand for him. Suzaku took it, gently cradling it in his own before smirking at Lelouch.

He moved before Lelouch could protest, sweeping Lelouch up into his arms and beginning to walk. For a moment, Lelouch was stunned, then he began to wiggle in Suzaku's arms. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Surely his majesty is too great and wonderful to walk on commoner's ground."

"Suzaku, you…Put me down. Put me down, right now!"

Suzaku laughed and gently set Lelouch back on the ground, surprised when Lelouch grabbed his hand again, pulling him along. "Lelouch, what's the rush?"

"I cooked dinner tonight. If we hurry, we'll be there when it's done." Lelouch looked back over his shoulder, giving Suzaku a smile and his hand a squeeze.

And Suzaku knew that they were going to be alright.

THE END


End file.
